The Road to Hell is Paved With Good Intentions
by TotallyRandomGirl
Summary: David just set foot in Santa Carla and things aren't going quite as he had planned. Now he has to find a way to survive and find out where he belongs in the seaside city before he becomes just another face on a missing poster. Of course, there's always someone willing to take a lost boy under their wing to guide him...
1. Fresh Off the Boats

Hey everyone!

Welcome to my story. Let me give you all a little insight into this fic, just in case you're wondering WTF…

So, a few weeks ago I was sitting around with some good friends of mine and we were watching The Lost Boys (and counting just exactly how many times David says Michael's name) and we got into a jokingly heated discussion about whether or not David's tear is justified after he gets burned by the sun. The two of us who agreed it was justified felt that it was justified for two completely different reasons. My friend Cynthia's reasoning was actually what inspired this story. I decided I was going to write a backstory for David. A little piece about the man behind the vampire.

Well, that "little piece" turned into this big long story that I'm still in the process of writing but I figured I'd start sharing now and just update whenever I feel like it.

It takes place five years before the original Lost Boys film and also before David becomes a vampire. It's told in first person from his PoV. This first chapter is probably the shortest of chapters in the history of chapters.

Anyway, enjoy and thanks for reading!

* * *

It was the summer of 1982 and I'd just turned eighteen. I left my home in beautiful but boring Salinas California behind in search of fun and excitement in a city that was made for _kids like me_ as my old man would've put it. I was "fresh off the boats," a term they liked to use to describe any person who was new to adult life in Santa Carla, and as anybody there could tell you… that city spotted me coming from a mile away.

I was cocky, but it was in that sort of way where I had no right to be. I had nothing to my name but the clothes on my back and a small duffle bag full of some extra clothes and cash which I later found would do me no good.

I should've took the warning of the old man I'd hitched a ride from and just stayed in his truck all the way to San Jose but I was eighteen and I knew what I was doing. While most kids were saving up for college, I was saving up to get out of Salinas. I had saved up my money from birthdays and Christmases since I was fifteen, just knowing that one day I was going to get out of Salinas and find a place _worth _living in.

I found Santa Carla instead.

I stepped onto the asphalt, my worn out Doc Martens almost searing from the heat of midday. It was unusually hot for Northern California but I couldn't complain. The beach was just a short walk away and soon I would welcome that warmth.

I knew I had to find the information center. I knew it was the only place where I was guaranteed to find a cheap apartment for rent but what I didn't know was that it was also a place where I was guaranteed to get myself in a mess of trouble.

After asking a handful of people on the street and only receiving a few snickers and finger points in response, I managed to stumble upon a dilapidated old building with the words "Santa Carla Visitors Information Desk" above it. The outer walls were thick with graffiti and the busted out windows should have been my first clue that the information center was no longer in service but I stepped up to the building with my confidence ablaze and knocked loudly on the door anyway.

I honestly don't know what I expected to happen when I knocked on that rusty old metal door but I can tell you I didn't expect what happened next. I felt a tap on my shoulder but just as I whirled around to see who had touched me, I felt a fist make a connection to my face and just like that, I was down on the ground. I felt boots in my ribs, some with steel toes that hurt like a son of a bitch, kicking me around on the blistering hot sidewalk. I don't know how long the assault lasted but I know that when it was over, everything I owned save for the clothes on my body had been taken.

I sat up slowly, dazed and disoriented, trying to make sense of what had just happened. I looked around and saw with a grimace that my duffle bag was missing and worse than that, passersby were laughing their asses off.

People knew this was going to happen and yet nobody saw fit to warn me. No, instead they laughed about it.

"Shit…" I managed to mutter through a bloody mouth, spitting that awful copper flavor on the ground. I gripped my head in my hand as let out a long sigh. Suddenly this decision to be a big brave man didn't seem so wise. "Should've gone to LA."

I stood up and dusted myself off, quickly realizing that sitting there feeling sorry for myself would do me no good. Aside from that though, I couldn't stand the laughter coming from the spectators anymore. I looked at the sun, noticing that it was starting to set. There wasn't much I could do at that point. I needed to find somewhere to lay my head for the night. I could sort everything else out in the morning.

I started the long walk down the hill to the boardwalk, the lights on the rides beginning to flicker on as the sun sank lower and lower into the sea. I ran my tongue along the long gash on the inside of my cheek, realizing I had managed to cut myself on my teeth during the barrage of kicks those assholes had decided to grace me with in welcome. I could still taste the freshness of the wound, grumbling in irritation knowing that it would likely bother me all night. It's a laughable thought now but the taste of blood was something I just couldn't stomach back then.

I didn't make it anywhere near the boardwalk that first night in Santa Carla. The pain from the attack was finally catching up with me and before I could even make it to 3rd street, I had to stop and rest. I took a seat against a building across from a strip club and watched with interest as the patrons of the night made their way in and out of the bright red metal door before I finally just let myself fall asleep in the sweltering heat of the summer night.


	2. Twinkies, McDonalds and Assholes

Moving along to chapter two. This one is quite a bit longer than the last. There's some character introductions which will be important later on.

And yes, for all intents and purposes… the Twinkie contest that is mentioned actually was a contest they were running in 1981. Considering this takes place late July, 1982 I think it's needless to say that the Twinkies are a bit past their expiration date. (Though, whether or not Twinkies actually go bad at all is up for some debate.)

Anyhow, enough talk about Twinkies. On with the story! Enjoy!

* * *

I'd be lying if I said my first few days in Santa Carla were anything but Hell on Earth. I woke up that first morning, my stomach growling louder than I'd ever heard it before. I let out a small groan as I opened my eyes to the bright morning sun. I had a crick in my neck from spending the night against the brick building behind me and a throbbing headache from either lack of sleep or a concussion from the ass beating of the previous day.

I stood slowly and dusted my pants off, cussing at myself for not at least finding a bench to lay on. That particular pair of acid wash jeans was my favorite and now I had no other choice but to wear them until I got back on my feet again.

First things first, I had to get something to eat. I started down the street again with my hand in my pocket. I managed to fish out my wallet, thankful that I had slept on my ass all night. There wasn't much in there other than four dollars and my California State ID but it would be enough to hold me over until I could find some kind of way to make money, at least I hoped.

I stepped into the first corner mart I came across and picked up two Twinkies. I recognized immediately that the wrappers were for a contest from the end of the previous year. I'd tried so damn hard to win that contest. A trip to Hawaii and twenty-five thousand dollars. The trip to Hawaii I could've done without but I wanted that money so bad.

I ignored that the pastries were expired and placed them on the counter along with one of my dollar bills, noticing that the guy behind the counter seemed less than pleased. I forced a smile, deciding I needed to make as many friends as possible, and decided to strike up a conversation.

"Hey, so you know where a guy can get any work around here?" I asked genuinely but the guy only answered my question with a question.

"You one of 'em?" He grunted, curling his lip up in disgust as he looked me over.

I looked down at myself, a little confused. I mean, I considered myself a lot of things but I didn't know if I was one of the things he was talking about. I held my hands up in a half shrug and continued to smile. "I don't know what you mean, man."

"The blood on your lips." He replied to me, seeming cautious of his words.

Instinctively, my tongue darted out to taste the dried up blood that lined my lips. I cringed at the taste and did my best to wipe it on my sleeve. "Ah, I got my ass kicked yesterday. Ass holes took all my belongings and most my cash too. Wonderful welcome to Santa Carla, eh?"

The cashier looked at me seriously as he bagged up my Twinkies and slid a quarter and a nickel across the counter. He looked me square in the eye and pointed with his thumb to the payphone outside the store. "Kid, do yourself a favor and use that quarter to call your folks to come pick you up. Santa Carla ain't no place you wanna screw around in."

"I'm starting to see that." I replied with an uncomfortable grin as I picked up the two coins and nodded to the cashier. I grabbed my bag of Twinkies and started out the door, anxious to just get outside and eat them.

I dove my hand into the bag and pulled out the first Twinkie, pealing the wrapper away quickly. I crammed the cream filled sponge cake in my mouth and chewed it happily, swallowing as fast as I could. My gut gurgled as a doughy mass made its way down my esophagus and slowly sank into my stomach. I pulled out the second Twinkie and stared at it, knowing regretfully that this was not going to appease my appetite at all. I was half way through my breakfast and already still so hungry.

I looked at the quarter that was still tucked in the palm of my hand and allowed my eyes to drift toward the pay phone that I had left behind me. Many thoughts passed through my mind. I considered following that guy's advice and just calling my parents to come pick me up. I mean, was I really about to try and survive on Twinkies for the day until I could find suitable work?

The only thing I heard in my mind though was the sound of my old man yelling at me about what an idiot I was and how I should've just listened to him and my mother in the first place.

No, that just wasn't an option. I was so sure of myself and the life that I was going to have away from home that there was no way I could crawl back and admit I was wrong. I quickly deposited the two coins in my pocket and tore open the second Twinkie wrapper, shoving half of it in my mouth as I discarded my trash and started on toward the boardwalk.

I passed a lot of old buildings on the way and I began to notice as I went on that nearly all the doors were metal and a majority of the windows had bars on them. I found it strange. I mean, Salinas had some bad parts of town but they were nothing to board your house up from. It made me question just what the people in Santa Carla were afraid of.

Lucky me, it would only be a few days before I found out.

I made my way toward Main Street, hoping I would find somewhere that was hiring but every business I asked practically laughed me out the door. Jobs in Santa Carla? Apparently a laughable concept.

I had expended all my energy that first day with little to show for it other than a few extra dollars in my pocket that I found on the street and a hunger even worse than the one I woke up with. I found my way into a McDonalds and bought myself two hamburgers bringing my grand total of remaining money to five dollars and eleven cents.

I sat inside the fast food restaurant, happy to give my feet a break from all the walking I had done that day. A lot of crap was going through my mind but my primary concern was where I would sleep. The beach was a short walk and it seemed like the ideal place to sleep but I realized that every other bum in Santa Carla probably had the same notion. I had little other options but I tried to keep my mind open to the possibilities.

I chewed my hamburger slowly as I thought over what my plan of action would be for the next day. I knew at some point I might have to make use of the showers at the beach. The water would be cold but I couldn't be picky. I hadn't bathed since I left my parent's house in Salinas and I wasn't going to get hired anywhere smelling like a dumpster. That was of course assuming I could find anywhere hiring at all. Santa Carla seemed to be a haven for the homeless and criminals looking to make a quick buck by robbing tourists.

I felt my eyebrow cock up at this realization. Criminals ran rampant in Santa Carla and they survived by robbing folks who were unfamiliar with the area. While I was reluctant to join any gang or even prey on the unsuspecting visitors to the city, I was certainly not above picking the pockets of the well-to-do citizens of this hell hole.

A man has to do whatever it takes to survive. I knew that. Still, I didn't like the idea of having to steal to get by. Oh sure, the whole Robin Hood persona is attractive in theory but when it comes to actually going through the motions… well, it's not quite so glamorous.

My mind turned over all the options I had but the sound of the door opening to the McDonalds caused my train of thought to scatter. I heard boots treading across the cold linoleum floor and I dared a glance up. That was the first time I saw them.

There were three of them, all about the same in height with the exception of one of the blonds being a slightly taller man. He was clearly the pack leader, the other blond and the brunet following close at his heels.

I watched him saunter up to the counter, the look of discomfort on the female cashier's face immediate and obvious. I heard her mutter "Welcome to McDonalds," before the head blond cut her words off.

"Claire, cut the crap. You know I'm not here to order any of your shitty food." He leaned on the counter running a hand through his thick blond hair and I could tell by his body language that he was a man used to getting what he wanted. "Look, when are you gonna go out with me?"

"When pigs fly, Zachary." The cashier said with her arms crossed, disdain in her voice and brown curls bouncing with her body movements. I couldn't help but snicker at the rebuttal. It was almost too cliché to be real.

The tall blond had an instant response for her and it was clear to me that this wasn't the first time they had done this dance. "When are you gonna learn that I don't take no for an answer, Claire?" I watched, tension in the air growing thick as he reached across the counter and grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer to him. "Let me take you out."

I don't know what came over me then. Maybe I was pissed off by the guy's cockish attitude or maybe I was just so weary from the past day and a half that my brain didn't function right, but I stood up and slammed my hands down on my tiny table, glaring at the blond that was harassing the cashier girl. "I'm pretty sure she said no."

The other two looked at me first, a string of laughter falling from their lips as they nudged each other. It took the leader, this _Zachary_ person, a bit longer to turn his attention to me. He released his hold on the girl and turned to me with a soft chuckle. "Well, well… what do we have here?" He asked rhetorically as he took a step toward me. "Fresh meat in Santa Carla, huh?"

I stared him down as he stepped toward me. I knew I should probably be paralyzed with fear but for some reason, I was confident and cool. I let a small smirk grace my lips and I stared up at the taller man unmoved. "The name's David." I offered, deciding to keep the confrontation as simple as possible. I mean, I knew I had opened my mouth and got myself into a mess I more than likely couldn't get out of but I wasn't above a peaceful resolution that didn't end with my face smeared all over the concrete.

"The name's David." The blond echoed in a mocking tone as he cast a glance over his shoulder at the other two who only laughed in response. He turned his gaze back to me and his grin grew wider. "What do you think you're doing, _David_?"

"Right now I think I'm trying to enjoy my burgers in peace after the shitty day I've had." I replied with an equally cocky grin. "But you and little miss thing over there are making it a bit hard with your lover's spat."

"Oh?" Zachary looked down at me quietly for a moment before I watched his eyes dart over to my table. There was a half-eaten burger still sitting there while the other one sat wrapped in its perfect little package. I knew instantly what was going through his mind and I'd never felt so pissed. I mean, kick my ass, sure. But come between a man and his food and that's a whole other ball game.

I watched as he brushed past me and despite that I wanted to reach out and punch him, I stood motionless as he knocked my food off the table and began stomping on it with the biggest shit eating grin I'd ever seen. I watched it happen almost as if it were a dream, or more like a nightmare. A nightmare that I couldn't wake up from.

And I mean, yeah, we're talking about McDonalds right now but when you're starving, anything involving food is enough to stir all kinds of emotions in you.

I was so incredibly pissed. I doubled up my fist and took a swing at Zachary's face but he only caught my fist midair and threw me to the ground. I went sliding across the linoleum and my head collided with one of the booths. Given the daylong headache I had that day, it hurt worse than it should have.

I heard the other two laugh in the distance as Zachary turned away from me. I heard him mutter to the cashier that he'd be back before he disappeared from the restaurant.

Grumbling under my breath, I pushed myself off the floor and started over to where my food lay on the ground. My first burger was a lost cause, ketchup and pickles were scattered everywhere and the bun was barely recognizable. The second one, however, still had hope. It was flattened alright but it was still in its wrapper and therefore still edible by my starving standards. I pocketed it quickly and stood fully upright, preparing to leave when I saw the cashier rushing over to me with a mop and bucket.

"I'm so sorry." I heard her mutter. "Those guys are such assholes!"

I couldn't help but laugh at her declaration. "Oh good, and here I thought it was just my impression."

I could see she was trying to fight a laugh as she began to pick up the sloppy mess on the floor so that she could mop the area. "You're not from around here." She said with a smile as she looked up at me. "You're lucky. You should get back to where you came from, assuming you're welcome back."

"You know, everyone keeps telling me that and I just can't see why." I said with a chuckle as I knelt down to help the girl clean up what was essentially _my_ mess. "All jokes aside though, I'm really looking for a job. Any job. You know anywhere that's hiring?"

"You're better off trying to freeze hell than find a job in Santa Carla." The girl said to me as she picked up the last of the mess and shoved it into a nearby trash can. "Santa Carla's not really known for its job market. I've been working this same job for two years now and I'm lucky to have even gotten hired when I did."

"So I'm basically screwed." I said as I forced a laugh. "Awesome."

"That's why I say, you're better off scraping up what change you have and get yourself on a bus back to whatever place you came from because Santa Carla doesn't have a thing to offer you." She wiped her hands on her apron as she said this and the look on her face was so full of sorrow that I could tell she truly hated the city.

"Well if it's so bad, why don't you get out?" I asked the obvious question, but I had to. For as many people that seemed to hate the city, none of them were leaving it behind.

"My grandmother…" The cashier girl said on a murmur as she dunked the mop into the water and began mopping up the ketchup and mustard mayhem on the floor. "She really doesn't want to leave and I'm the only one in my family left to take care of her. I stay for her sake so she doesn't have to go to an assisted living home."

"That stinks." I said in reply, unsure of what to really say to a sad situation like that. I shoved my hands in my pockets and tried to lighten the discussion a bit. "Well I'm stuck here too but it's because of my own damn pride. I told my folks I was leaving Salinas and I was never coming back. I guess that makes Santa Carla my new home."

"There are plenty of places to go besides Santa Carla. You could keep heading north. San Jose, San Francisco…" The girl offered as a response, such seriousness on her face it was almost unsettling. "Anywhere is better than here."

I shrugged and smiled. "Well, it's too late now. All my cash and clothes were stolen and I've got no way out of here so I'm stuck until I can at least find a job."

The cashier girl shook her head slowly before she paused in thought. She looked up at me and I could see there was thought crossing her face. "Hey, I have an idea." She said as she began to carry the mop and bucket away. "How about if I ask my grandma and a few of our neighbors if there's any work around their houses you can do? Maybe you can earn some money that way and then you can get out of this place."

Well, I just didn't know what to say to her. That was the nicest thing anyone had offered me since I'd arrived in Santa Carla. Of course, I didn't know what to think about leaving. After all, San Jose was only further from home and San Francisco was somewhere I knew I wouldn't really like. Still, the prospect of making money to survive on was a more than welcome idea. "Well hell, I'll do any kind of work if I can make some money."

"Alright. I'll ask around tomorrow and see what they say. I work again Friday night so if you wanna come back then I'll let you know what they say." I watched her disappear behind the _employees only _door before reappearing behind the counter. I watched her click a few buttons on the cash register before she motioned me over. "I'm not normally supposed to do this but since you stood up for me to Zach I'm gonna replace the hamburgers he stepped on."

I stared down at her in curiosity. Nobody had been this nice before now. It was almost as if there was a catch. But after the two hamburgers were presented to me, it seemed the only catch was that I had to leave because it was closing time. I turned back to look at the cashier gratefully and gave her a small wave as I started out the door. "Thanks Claire! I'll see you Friday!"

But no, it turned out I wouldn't. I never saw that girl again, save for her face on a _Missing_ poster that seemed to match all the others around that God forsaken city.


	3. Goddamned Hippies

Chapter 3 is here! More character introductions; some important, some not.

I swear, this story will pick up fairly soon. I swear it.

* * *

I'd spent most of Friday still wandering around looking for a job only to come up fruitless. To make things worse, I was down to my last dollar and I was starving. All I could think about was seeing that cashier girl again and hope that she would have work for me. Until evening though, I was stuck continuing my search for a job.

The closer I got to the boardwalk in my search, the more interesting things I saw. There were people everywhere just trying to make a quick buck. From street performers to artists peddling their wares, everyone out there was trying to make a living with what they had to offer. One of the really interesting things I noticed was a group of guys selling VHS tapes and records. The records were still in pristine packaging and at the time, it was hard to find VHS tapes anywhere other than movie rental shops which meant only one thing to me… they were more than likely stolen. And now here these guys were, selling them out on the boardwalk for a hefty price.

If I could steal and sell even one movie, hell, I'd be set for a week.

But I quickly reminded myself that I had that cashier girl waiting to tell me whether or not she was able to scrounge me up some odd jobs. I just needed to stretch that dollar a little longer.

I walked along the boardwalk, eyeing the rides. I'd always loved rides and whenever the fair was near, my parents would take me and we'd spend all day on the tilt-a-whirl and the Ferris wheel. I made a promise to myself as I stood there watching everyone enjoying themselves that as soon as I made some real money, I was going to go ride those rides.

As the day dragged on, I found myself at all the seaside shops begging for a job but like every other place I had been to in town, nobody was hiring.

One person directed me toward a pin board next to the movie rental shop, stating that anybody could post anything there and that there might be someone looking for a worker. When I looked at the pin board, however, I found little more than a slew of _Missing_ posters. There were countless faces staring at me, some smiling and some stone cold serious. Some of the posters were so tattered and old they looked like they could've been remnants from the sixties. Some of the posters had dates of when the person had gone missing, the earliest dating back to 1971.

It was a sickening feeling. So many people had gone missing in Santa Carla, a lot of them young. Kids just like me. I wondered what had happened to them all, though I would soon find out just exactly what had occurred.

I continued on, deciding that the beach and boardwalk had nothing to offer me. It was growing late in the day and I was so hungry that I decided my best bet was just to head back to McDonalds and see if that Claire girl was there. By the time I got there, the sun had already begun to set and I noticed that a lot of people in the area began to go into their houses, almost with a sense of urgency as though something awful happened when the sun went down.

I was starting to find this place weirder and weirder by the minute. Maybe the people who had warned me were right. Maybe I did need to get out of Santa Carla while I still had the chance.

I stepped into the McDonalds to find a disgruntled looking man at the counter. I could tell by his appearance that he was the manager and since nobody was in line, I walked up to him and looked at him curiously. "Hi, is Claire here yet?"

"No she's not." He said, half growling as he spoke the words. "She was supposed to be here a half hour ago."

"Hmm…" I didn't know what to say to the guy so I shrugged. I didn't know if the cashier girl was the type to be late often or maybe something awful happened to her grandmother. I hoped that it was the former and decided to order a hamburger and just wait for her.

I ate slowly, trying to trick my body into thinking it was eating more than it actually was. Minutes ticked by into hours and before I knew it, it was already closing time. There had been no sign of the girl.

I felt disheartened. I only had a small amount of change left and the one chance I had at actually earning some money happened to fall through. I stood slowly and trudged my way out of the restaurant and toward the beach. I didn't care how many homeless people were on the beach at that point. I wanted somewhere more comfortable to lay than the cold hard ground of the city streets.

I stepped past the boardwalk and onto the sand. It was a Friday night so of course there was a party going on but it just wasn't something I was interested in at the time. I turned away from the party and headed toward the quieter area of the beach. There were a handful of people in that area too but I figured I wouldn't be disturbed by them.

I took a seat on the sand and dug my hand into my pocket, pulling out the quarter I had placed there a few days before. I looked it over in thought, considering my options. I could call my parents. I could admit I was wrong. I could go back home.

I hated it.

But I just didn't think I had many other options open to me. Then, as luck would have it, something happened that would seal my fate in that wretched city forever.

"Hey," I heard a voice call to me. It was soft and mellow and entirely inviting. I turned my gaze upward to see a woman staring down at me. She had thick, long red hair that reached her hips and freckles dotting nearly every inch of her bared skin. She smiled down at me and held out her hand. "you look like you need a friend."

I'd seen her type before. She was a hippie, though she was much too young for the hippie movement of the sixties. Those type of people bothered me but at the time I had no friends and not a single thing to my name except the clothes on my back and a handful of change so I decided to be nice. "My name's David."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, David. My name is June." She said as I took her hand to shake it. "You look lonely sitting over here all by yourself. My friends and I were wondering if you might want to join us by the fire."

I looked across the beach to the group sitting around a bonfire. From what I could see, they looked like they were all having a good time and I saw that they were eating. At this sight, my stomach grumbled. I looked up at June and shrugged. "Sure, why not?" I stood slowly and dusted myself off which was pointless because I was just going to sit in the sand again once we reached the fire. I walked along the beach in silence with the hippie woman at my side.

"So how old are you, David? Spiritually, I mean." June asked as she smiled kindly at me.

I didn't know what to say to her and I must've been staring at her like a crazy person because she only giggled. How old was I, _spiritually_? I didn't want to offend her and lose the chance at getting some food and so I only shrugged. "I'm eighteen." I replied. "I don't know how old I am spiritually."

"I'm twenty-three physically, but I'm centuries old spiritually. I'm an old soul." She said with a smile. She turned to me then and looked deep into my eyes which made me feel more than uncomfortable. "Your eyes have a youth and innocence to them, David. You're a young soul. You have much to learn in the lives you will live."

I had to fight my laughter at this comment. I really didn't believe in reincarnation and recycled souls so it was hard not to laugh at June's words. I only nodded in response to her and kept my eyes on the fire ahead of us.

"You're very young, David. Much too young to be in a city like this by yourself. This city is ill and decayed. It's not a good place for a soul like yours." June said as she looked to me in all seriousness. "A few of my friends at the fire are starting a caravan down south. They're headed to San Diego. Perhaps you should consider joining them. There's nothing for you in a place like this."

My ears perked at this statement. "San Diego? That's a long way from here."

"It's a city with a bloody past, much like Santa Carla. However it's a bright and happy city today and I think it might be the perfect place for you." June said with a happy smile as she looked at me hopefully. "I think you should go."

"You barely know me." I said as I cocked my eyebrow at the hippie woman's words.

"I know that you're here, alone. I know that you have nowhere else to go." She looked to me with a small shrug as I opened my mouth to question her and she answered me before I could speak my curiosity. "My apartment is near the old information center. I was looking out my window and I saw what happened to you that first day you arrived. It wasn't fair and I know you have nothing now. This city is like that. It takes everything you have away from you and sucks you dry. It's awful."

"Well _you_ live here." I replied with a scoff. "Can't be all that bad."

"_I_ have a purpose here." June said and I could tell there was a hint of irritation in her voice. "My purpose is to help all the wayward souls in this city find a place to escape to."

"And let's say my _wayward soul_ did go to San Diego. I'd still be broke. What could I do in San Diego that I can't do here?" I asked, letting my more sarcastic nature show.

"You could have a life worth living, David." She replied almost instantly.

I then realized I was not the first person she'd had this conversation with and I also realized that I wouldn't be the last. I let out a small sigh and shrugged. "Alright, fine. You're probably right anyway. I'll hear them out at least." I put my hands in my pockets as we reached the bonfire and looked at the faces of the group of people before me. Some of them looked a lot like June, dressed in hippie type clothes with excessively long hair and peace signs and all that other bullshit. Others were dressed a bit more like myself, jeans and t-shirts and a few leather jackets. All faces were looking at me.

"Everyone, this is David." June said as she motioned to me and took a seat, patting the sand beside her for me to sit.

"He looks more like a _Moonflower_ to me…" A girl sitting on the other side of June said as she leaned across the woman and grinned at me, her thick blonde curls bouncing as she moved closer. She bit her lip and reached out to fiddle with my jacket as she giggled. "It means _dreaming of love_ in the language of flowers."

June seemed annoyed by the girl's actions and pulled her back, speaking to her in a scolding tone. "Clover, he's eighteen." Suddenly the calm, easygoing hippie woman seemed a lot more motherly to me. I'd heard that tone a thousand times with my own mother and I knew it was a warning not to tread too far. June turned her eyes to me and there was a hint of danger in them. "David, this is my younger sister… Clover. _Much _younger."

I turned my gaze back to the blonde as she waved to me in a flirty fashion. She too had freckles on her face and the same hazel eyes as June. The resemblance was uncanny other than the fact that Clover was blonde and had fuller lips than her sister. "How much younger?" I muttered stupidly which only earned me a feral glare from June.

"She just turned fifteen." June snapped before nudging her sister back away from me further. "She's one of the people on the caravan to San Diego. Also going along will be Esther, Jason and Christopher." She said motioning to the three others on her right, obviously anxious to change the subject away from her jail bait sister. "Heading up the caravan is Lavender, Firestone and Anubis, all three good friends of mine."

I looked across the fire at the three hippies June motioned to. The man I assumed was Anubis sat between the two women who clung tightly to either arm. I cocked an eyebrow as I looked at them but they only stared straight back at me.

That was when the woman I believed to be called Firestone, clearly named for her vibrant auburn hair, spoke to me. "The price to ride along is twenty dollars a person. It helps pay for gas and ensures that you'll have enough money to buy yourself some food. We have two empty seats in our bus so there's room for one more if you have a friend who wants to go."

"We'll try to drive straight through." Lavender chimed in as she eyed me seductively. "But that depends on if we need to take any… breaks, for _miscellaneous_ activities."

Damn, hippie women were horny. I cleared my throat and shifted uncomfortably as Lavender licked her lips and looked me up and down. I glanced at the others and shrugged. "Well, I'd love to go but I don't have any money."

"So find a way to make money." Anubis said with a grin. "Because we're leaving tomorrow afternoon and we won't be back. You'll have to wait for June to organize another caravan. It usually takes her about a year to seduce new people into friendship and then convince them that they need to leave Santa Carla and take as many people as they can with them. Isn't that right, June?"

I looked to June and the expression on her face narrowed to a look of disapproval. "You say it with such disdain, _Jeffrey_."

"I don't go by that name anymore." Anubis replied with a smirk, his eyes fixated on June. "You said yourself, Anubis is much more fitting." I looked between the two of them but they only stared across the fire in silence, animosity clearly thick between them. After a moment of silence, Anubis turned his gaze back in my direction. "Anyway, the quickest way to make some money is to steal a tape from the video store and hock it on the street for a quick buck. All it takes is one, and it's a smooth ride to San Diego."

"Don't even think about it, David. That's terrible advice." June interrupted before Anubis could try to convince me further. "Can't you make an exception for him? He doesn't have a penny to his name."

"_I'd_ make an exception." Lavender said as she arched her back, letting her long blonde locks dangle in the sand. "But it's Anubis' car. Anubis' rules."

"I thought you hippies were supposed to be anti-rules." I said as I eyed Anubis curiously. "Anti-establishment and all for the people. Crap like that."

"_Crap like that_ doesn't fill the gas tank or feed our bodies, David." Firestone replied for Anubis as she stared at me. "So, you either wanna go, or you don't."

I looked amongst the others. The three who were dressed like me, Esther, Jason and Christopher didn't have much to say. They were clearly just as new to this little group as I was; others who June had convinced to leave Santa Carla behind. I looked to Clover but she was only staring at me eagerly, begging me with her eyes to come along. I looked to June, but her face was emotionless as she stared right back at me.

I snapped my gaze back to Anubis and nodded quickly. "Alright. I'll do it."

"Perfect. We meet tomorrow by the boardwalk at one o'clock." Anubis said with a smile but his eyes were directed at June rather than me. "Don't be late."

I stood swiftly and started back toward where I knew the video store to be. I couldn't waste any time. I had to swipe a tape and I had to do it fast because I would only have so much time to find someone to buy it. Nothing was going to stop me, but that didn't keep June from trying.

"David!" June shouted as she came storming after me. "David, don't do it!"

I slowed my pace and turned to face June, walking backwards as I allowed her to catch up to me. "What's your deal, lady? You don't make any sense. _'You need to leave Santa Carla, David. It's a bad place for you, David.'_ And when I go to actually follow your advice and catch the crazy hippie train out of this hell hole, you try to stop me."

"Don't go to that video store. It's not a good place. I get nauseous just walking by it." June replied, obviously ignoring the attitude I was handing her. "Besides, stealing is never the right way to make money."

"Well, what'd you think I was gonna do? You said yourself, you know I'm broke. You saw what happened the day I got here." I said, throwing my arms up in irritation. "What'd you think was going to happen?"

"I thought Anubis would make an exception for you. If it had been Clover who'd chosen you, or Lavender, maybe then he would've. But because it was me he's going to make you pay." June said as she continued after me, even after I turned away from her.

"So I have you to thank." I said with a forced chuckle. "Thanks."

"David, don't go to that video store. It's a mistake. Something bad will happen. I know it." June protested as she struggled to keep up with my pace, her ground length skirt obviously hindering her ability to walk swiftly.

"Oh? So you're a psychic now too?" I asked rhetorically as I cast a glance over my shoulder. "Look, I'm just following your advice. I'm getting the hell out of this city and I'm going to San Diego with your friends. Consider my _wayward soul_ saved." I continued on as fast as I could and after a while, I realized that I was no longer being followed. I paused a moment to look back but I saw no sign of June anywhere behind me. At that moment, I felt a strange combination of relief and abandonment but I quickly shook it off.

I turned myself back in the direction of the video rental shop, determined that I was going to get out of Santa Carla and still prove my parents wrong; that I could have a better life outside of Salinas and that I could make it on my own.

I don't know what would've happened to me if I had never met June and the others that night. Maybe things would've turned out drastically different.

Maybe I would've broke down and called my folks to come take me home. Maybe I would've stuck it out and found some work in the city. Maybe I would've become just another face on the pin board of missing people in Santa Carla. I don't know.

All I do know is that I never expected what would happen next. Never in a million years.


	4. Girls, Girls, Girls

Alrighty, here we are at chapter 4 already. Finally things are going to start picking up. We have MORE character introductions! WOOO!

One of these characters is someone you already know (or at least, I hope you know who he is) and the other two are new characters. Now, I'm normally very descriptive when I write but because this story is told from David's point of view and guys don't really notice details about things, especially about other people, I feel it's probably best if I just give you an image in your mind of what these characters look like.

Think Jennifer from the first _Back to the Future_. No, not the girl who played her in the sequels but the original Jennifer. That is what I imagined one of these characters to look like and the other character is basically just an older version of her. They're both important characters throughout this story so I figured it'd help to have an image if you're one of those people (like me) who likes to picture the story in your head while you're reading.

Alright, I think I've rambled enough! ON WITH THE SHOW!

* * *

My heart was pounding in my chest, palms sweaty and mouth dry. I was understandably nervous. I'd never stolen anything in my life and now I was about to give it my first go. I entered the movie store and looked around. It was full of people, couples and families looking for movies to rent for the weekend.

I tried to think, if I were going to buy a movie on the street, what movie would I buy? My personal favorite genre was Horror so I started my search there. There were plenty of movies, some of them I had seen like Halloween and Friday the 13th. The Evil Dead was a new release and also happened to be a damn good movie too. The only problem was, the Horror section was full of people looking for a good gory movie to scare the crap out of themselves with. There was no way I could swipe one without someone noticing.

I continued to browse the selection, pretending to be interested in finding a movie for myself though I was really just looking for the easiest sell. I sorted through the Children's section quickly before rushing through Romance. Finally I came upon the Action section. That was where I saw it.

_Raiders of the Lost Ark_.

It had been a huge blockbuster and insanely popular with just about anyone who liked movies. I wasn't a huge fan of it but I did enjoy it and better than that, it would be easy to sell. I could sell it for as much as I wanted because it wasn't like anybody could buy it in the store and considering it was a new release, they probably only had a handful of copies.

I picked it up slowly and stared at it, wondering what to do next. Did I just run out of the store or did I try to conceal it? If I concealed it, maybe I could get more and have more than enough money to get to San Diego and maybe even a nice big meal.

My stomach grumbled at the thought, realizing I hadn't eaten any of the food around June's bonfire. It seemed like my stomach was making a decision for me. I quickly tucked the tape into my jacket underneath my arm and took a step forward but before I could even glance around to make sure no one saw me, I felt a hand clamp down on my shoulder roughly and spin me around. I stood petrified as a man much taller than me stared down at me from behind his glasses. A quick glance at the name plate he was wearing told me that his name was Max and that he was the manager of this video store.

I never felt so terrified in my life. I was so sure he was going to call the cops on me and I was going to go straight to jail, so imagine my surprise when he spoke to me in a calm, soothing voice.

"I really don't think you ought to be stuffing that in your jacket." He said to me as he forced a smile. "Someone might think you're trying to steal it."

I didn't know what to say to the man and my mouth was so dry that if I had been able to even think of something to say, the words likely wouldn't form. I pulled the movie out slowly and handed it with a trembling hand to Max.

"No harm done." Max said as he smiled down at me. I thought he would let me go then and my legs were more than ready to run me out of there but instead, he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me toward the back of the store. He unlocked a door with a key from his pocket and motioned me in.

I was hesitant to step inside. I didn't know if he was going to detain me until the cops could be called or if he was simply going to beat my ass.

He did neither.

He pulled a chair over to the middle of what appeared to be a stock room/break room and patted it, indicating that he wanted me to sit. I sat quickly and watched as he pulled out another chair and sat across from me, staring at me intently.

"So who are you, son?" Max asked in a voice too kind to be genuine. "You don't look familiar to me. You don't look like you're a bad kid and I can tell by the way you tried to take that tape that you're no thief. So what's so bad in your life that you needed to try and take that movie?"

I looked away from him, feeling as though I was going to lose my dinner at any second. Before I even knew what was happening, my whole story started spilling out in a jumbled mess and Max did his best to follow along.

"I came here for some excitement…" I muttered, crossing my arms over my stomach to calm it. "and as soon as I got here, I got my ass kicked by a bunch of thugs. They stole all my money and I can't find work. I'm starving and on the streets and when I finally find a way to get out of here on a bus with a bunch of hippie assholes, they tell me I need twenty bucks and to steal a tape and sell it to earn the money so I just came to get a tape and leave but I guess I got greedy and-"

"Whoa, whoa. Slow down." Max said as he cut me off. "You've been living on the streets of Santa Carla?"

I looked up at him, my stomach in complete knots by that point. I couldn't speak so I only nodded.

"How long?" Max asked, a look of concern coming over his face.

I shrugged, trying to think of how long I'd been there. Everything was such a blur and my mind was so jumbled with fear and adrenaline that I couldn't calculate it. "Since Tuesday evening."

"You poor boy." Max said as he placed his hand on my shoulder. "What about your parents?"

I glanced up at Max before shaking my head and looking away. "I can't call them. I don't want to disappoint my dad and I know he'll only be pissed at me. And my mom… well, we were never very close but I don't want to disappoint her either."

"Oh, that's no good. No good at all. A boy needs parents that he can trust and confide in." Max said as he looked to me with a gentle smile. "You know, I think we can help each other out."

I looked up at Max in confusion, curious to know just how we could help each other. I mean, I knew with all the money he made from his video store, he could probably help me greatly. How I could help him was a different matter. I had little to offer, or so I thought.

"You're an attractive young man..." Max started to speak and immediately I had to stop him.

"No. No way man. I'm sorry but I'm not like that. I dig chicks." I said, as I leaned away from the older man. "I like women."

"Oh, what a coincidence. So do I." Max replied with a knowing smile that made me feel like an idiot for assuming his sexuality based on his admission that I was attractive. I bowed my head and continued to listen to him talk, deciding I should hear him out before I protested. He cleared his throat to continue. "Anyhow, there's a woman I'm quite fond of. Her name is Marcy and she has a daughter about your age. She's a very good mother, but a protective one. I need you to befriend her daughter."

I looked at Max, curious as to his motives. "Why me?"

"You're young. An attractive young man. And naturally, Tawny would be drawn to someone like you." Max replied.

"Tawny?" I asked, my nose crinkling up at the name. Seriously, it was an unattractive name and I imagined the girl to accompany the name would be more than likely chubby or have a unibrow and braces.

"She's a sweet girl but she has a thirst for adventure, not unlike yourself. I think you two would be good friends." Max replied with a simple smile.

"So even if we were friends, what does that have to do with helping you get her mom?" I leaned back in the chair, honestly interested in how Max seemed to think that me hanging out with this Tawny girl was going to help him bag her mom.

"Well, Marcy is very protective, as I mentioned earlier. Naturally she wants to know everything about Tawny's friends, especially the male ones. She'll want to know where you live and she'll want to meet your parents." Max said with a shrug.

"But my parents are in Salinas and I'm homeless." I said, cocking a curious eyebrow. This conversation was making less and less sense to me by the minute.

"Which is why you'll have to come live with me. I'll watch over you while you're in the city and I'll be the one that Marcy meets." Max replied with a smile. "It's a win, win. You get a bed to sleep in, food to eat and a father figure who you can trust. I get to court an exquisite woman who has been evading my grasp for a while now."

"All of this sounds too good to be true." I said skeptically. "What's the catch?"

"There's no catch, David." Max replied and I was a bit taken back by his use of my name because I didn't recall telling it to him. "I simply want a family. I think Marcy would be an excellent mother to my boys and I think my boys need a little sister to look after. It'll teach them responsibility. Right now they're just running rampant on the streets."

"And they'll be okay with me moving in?" I asked.

"Oh, they don't live with me. They're out on their own but I'd like for us to live as a family and I think Marcy and Tawny could bring that family together." Max said with a smile. "You'd be a part of that family too, David."

Family. Somewhere to belong. Being a part of a family unit was something I hadn't felt for a long time. Ever since I became a teenager, my parents and I grew farther and farther apart. We didn't see eye to eye on a lot of subjects and it really drove a wedge between my old man and me.

I looked at the ground in thought, San Diego seemingly no longer an option at this point. Everything still sounded too good to be true so I had little to do but assume that this Tawny girl was probably uglier than sin but I could deal with that as long as it meant a roof over my head and food in my belly. "Alright." I looked up at Max and nodded stiffly. "Alright, I'll do it."

"Wonderful." Max clapped his hands together and smiled widely. "Welcome to my family, David." I watched him glance at his watch before his eyes lit up in excitement. "Oh, it's almost midnight!"

I shrugged at this declaration and looked at him. "So what happens at midnight?"

"Every Friday night around midnight, Marcy and Tawny come in to rent a movie. It's a tradition that they've had since I opened this store." Max said as he stood and motioned me to follow. He led me back toward the store and opened the door for me. "I want you to see them."

I shrugged at Max's creepy enthusiasm and decided I really didn't care one way or another as long as I got to eat something when I got to his house. I stood beside him and looked around the store but I didn't see any mother/daughter couples. I was about to ask Max if I could sleep in his car until he was ready to go home when he suddenly put his hand on my shoulder.

"There they are, coming in through the door." Max spoke in a low voice into my ear. My eyes floated to the two women walking into the movie store and I was stunned. They were both strikingly beautiful women, their warm brown hair in complete contrast with their porcelain skin. The only problem was that I was terribly into blondes and didn't have much interest in brunettes. If only she could've been blonde. Blonde with a tan…

"Should I go talk to her?" I muttered to Max as I watched the two women separate from each other and head to entirely different areas of the store.

"Not tonight." Max replied. "We need to get you some clothes that don't smell like you've been wearing them for four days straight."

I looked down at myself, slightly offended though I knew I shouldn't be. He was right. I had worn my clothes for four days and I probably did stink. I never got around to actually taking that shower at the beach. I decided to just stand back and watch instead.

I watched Tawny browse the Adventure section, and as fate would have it, she picked up the same tape I had tried to steal. She then walked over to her mother and waited for the other woman to finish browsing. Then just like that, they rented their movies and left the store. I glanced at Max and looked at him skeptically. "If they come in here all the time, why don't you just talk to her and ask her out on a date?"

Max let out a soft chuckle and patted my shoulder. "I've tried that but Tawny isn't exactly a fan of mine. She dislikes me for whatever reason and being a good mother, Marcy listens to her daughter's concerns. She won't even give me a chance."

"So I have to convince this Tawny girl that you're a decent guy." I replied with a shrug. "Shouldn't be too hard."

Max laughed again and shook his head as he smiled down at me. "Oh, you'd be surprised David. You'd be very surprised…"


	5. Home Sweet Home

Hey everyone! It's Halloween week and that means it's DOUBLE UPLOAD week!

So in addition to this chapter today, I'll be uploading chapter 6 on Wednesday.

Enjoy!

* * *

The first time I saw Max's house, I was completely in awe. It was dark outside but that didn't take away from how massive and well decorated it was. It overlooked the sea in a quiet neighborhood that was unlike anywhere else in Santa Carla that I had been and if I listened close enough, I could hear the sound of the ocean. It was such a luxurious house and it was hard to believe that I would be living there.

As Max led me into the house, he explained that there would be certain rules that I needed to abide by. "I sleep during the day since I work at night so don't disturb me, please. I'm a very light sleeper and I need all the sleep I can get." Max said as he led me to the kitchen. "Everything in the refrigerator and cupboards are yours to eat, just don't touch anything in the freezer." He continued on, turning off the light in the kitchen and led me to the attached garage. "My dog, Bridgette, is about to have a litter of puppies. She's very temperamental and protective of me and her pups so it's best to be wary of her but I do want you to get to know her."

He opened the door to the garage and I saw a beautiful White Shepherd lying in a big fluffy dog bed. Her belly was swollen and she looked like she was ready to give birth at any second. I took a hesitant step toward her but she only growled at me so I backed away slowly. "Maybe now's not the best time."

"Maybe you're right." Max replied as he quickly closed the garage door and turned to walk back through the kitchen. "The guest room you'll be staying in is on this side of the house. My room is on the other side so you'll practically have the whole house to yourself. There's also a pool in the back so feel free to use it whenever you want, though I'm sure you'll probably prefer the ocean to the confines of a pool."

"A pool? That's pretty cool. Maybe we could throw a party some time." I muttered, half joking about the party but also hoping that I might get the chance to have one. It was something my parents never allowed and something I always wanted to do. Of course, I'd have to find some friends first.

"A party will come in due time, my boy." Max said to my surprise. "Once you and Tawny become close, we can have her and Marcy over and maybe my boys as well."

I almost forgot… Tawny. The girl who I was supposed to befriend. She was the whole reason I was even there in the first place. "What's she like? Tawny, I mean."

Max paused in thought and looked down at me. "She… well, she's like most teen girls, I assume. She's young and full of energy. Very pretty, just like her mother, of course you saw her so you know that. As protective as her mother is of her, she's equally protective of her mother. She's also not afraid to speak her mind. Unfortunately, she's heard some bad things about me so those are the only opinions I've heard her voice. She likes adventure movies and she rents them often so I know she has a thirst for that kind of thing." He shrugged and smiled. "I'm sure you'll get to know her."

"I just hope she's not annoying." I said with a groan. "Nothing worse than annoying teenage girls."

"Well even if she is annoying, you still need to help me win her over. I want her mother and my boys deserve a little sister. You deserve a family too, David. One you can rely on." Max placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it tight. "You should get some sleep. You look tired. I'll leave an allowance on the kitchen counter for you before I go to sleep. You should buy some more clothes. You're going to need them when you start work at the store."

"The store?" I asked curiously. "You're gonna have me work at the store too?"

"Well, you need money for clothes and other expenses, don't you?" Max said with a smile. "Besides, it'll be good character building for you to have a job. Go shopping tomorrow and Sunday at two in the afternoon, you'll see Maria at the store. She'll have plenty of work for you to do."

"W-well alright." I said, confusion really beginning to seep into my brain. How had this happened? Everything I wanted when I first arrived was now falling into my lap because I tried to steal a movie. If life was trying to teach me a lesson, it certainly wasn't that stealing was wrong.

"Goodnight, David." Max said with a smile.

"Goodnight." I replied, giving a small wave as I headed into the hall where Max informed me my bedroom would be. There were three doors, all leading to bedrooms I assumed. I chose the one to the right of me and started in.

It had a nice western facing window overlooking the front yard and further out, the sea. The bed wasn't massive like I thought it might be but it was a full size bed and more than enough for me to sleep in. I stripped off all my clothes except for my underwear and flopped down onto the bed. It was a thousand times more comfortable than the city streets I had found myself sleeping on recently. It seemed as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was able to drift right to sleep.


	6. Somebody Has Issues

Here you go everyone! Chapter 6 is up and what a chapter it is!

Clocking in at a grand total of 6,001 words, I hope it makes up for some of the shorter chapters. A lot happens in a short amount of time so pay attention because certain details will be important later.

I'd also like to thank those who've taken time to review this story! It means a lot and I really appreciate it!

Other than that, please enjoy and have a happy and safe Halloween!

* * *

Sunday came way too quickly for me and I was kind of dreading going to work. I had been able to spend all day Saturday loafing around the house eating whatever I wanted and watching T.V. as my clothes washed. When they were finally clean, I got dressed and went shopping to buy more clothes so I had three shirts, three pairs of pants and plenty of socks and underwear to last me a while.

Saturday was a perfect day, but then it was over.

Sunday found me in a less than pleased mood. I didn't really want to go to work at Max's movie store. That wasn't a part of the deal when I agreed to help him with his women troubles. Still, I couldn't protest. A job was what I initially wanted when I came to Santa Carla and now I had one. It would be nice to have some extra money to spend and since Max wasn't charging me rent, I really couldn't complain.

I dressed quickly and made my way back toward the movie store, not realizing just how long of a walk it really was. Going downhill was fine, sure. But returning on foot wouldn't be such a breeze.

I reached the store shortly before two and met with Maria, the girl who worked the cash register. She was a cute Hispanic girl with curly black hair that bounced as she walked. She showed me the ropes of the store; how to rent movies out to people, how to stock the movies that were returns and where I could take my break when it was time for one.

It actually wasn't unpleasant.

I spent a lot of my time dusting off shelves that didn't get a lot of action and organizing the returns by putting them back in their rightful places. Before I knew it, four and a half hours passed by and it was almost time for me to go home.

"Hey David," Maria called to me as I stood on the opposite side of the store putting back some more returns that we had just received. "I'm gonna go take my fifteen in the break room before I let you go. You think you can keep an eye on the shop for me?"

"No problem." I replied with a smile. Really, it didn't seem like it would be a problem at all. Sunday seemed to be a slow day for the movie rental business, likely because everybody was going back to work on Monday and didn't have time to watch any movies. I figured nobody would come in so there would be no problem.

About seven minutes into Maria's break however, I heard footsteps entering the store. I turned to see familiar brown curls swaying with the motion of the head they were attached to. It was Tawny, walking into the store with two movies in her arms, seemingly confused. "Can I help you?" I asked as I stepped toward the girl, forcing a smile.

She looked at me skeptically and pulled the tapes in her arms closer against her chest. "You work here?" She asked, looking me over.

"I sure do." I replied as I dusted my hands off on my pants. "What'd you need?"

"I came to return my movies." Tawny replied as she continued to eye me warily. "Where's Maria?"

"She's in the back taking her break." I answered as I started toward the cash register with Tawny trailing behind. "Do you want me to get her for you?"

"No…" Tawny replied as she furrowed her brow, relaxing her tense body at my offer to retrieve someone familiar to her. "No, it's alright. I just didn't recognize you. You must be new."

I nodded to her observation as I leaned on the counter. "Just started today."

"That's lucky." Tawny said as she placed the two movies on the counter. "It's hard to find a job in Santa Carla."

"Tell me about it." I said with a chuckle as I scooted the movies closer to myself. "I looked everywhere before I lucked out here."

"Yeah, I've been trying to find a summer job but it's practically impossible." Tawny replied as she too leaned on the counter. "Nobody wants to hire a sixteen year old."

"Well, maybe you'll have better luck finding a job once school starts back up." I offered with a shrug. I had to admit, getting along with this girl was going to be as easy as Max made it out to be. She seemed like a typical teenage girl. Earning her trust however… that might take some time.

"Yeah, maybe. It just sucks living off my allowance, you know? No money for the fun stuff." She said as she smiled up at me, her blue eyes wide and bright. "I hate being broke, but that's the story of my life."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." I patted my back pocket where the change from the money Max gave me sat in my wallet. I had about ten dollars and now that I thought about it, it was the perfect opportunity to do just what Max wanted me to do. "Hey, my shift is almost over. You wanna go to the boardwalk and ride some rides and play some games?"

Tawny laughed lightly and cocked an eyebrow at me. "You asking me out on a date or something?"

"Nah, I was just…" Shit, what was I supposed to say? I mean, yeah I was kind of asking her on a date but it wasn't for the reason she probably thought. "I just came to Santa Carla and I thought-"

"Relax! I'm just messing with you!" Tawny said with another laugh as she reached across the counter and gave my arm a light tap. "You're just trying to make friends, right? I think I saw you at the mall yesterday. You were shopping all by yourself, which is weird because only creeps go anywhere in this city alone."

"Yeah, well I'm new around here." I muttered. Why was it that everybody seemed to notice that I'm alone? Was it really that odd to be alone in the city? "Anyway, I've been wanting to go to the boardwalk since I got here but I don't really know my way around."

"Well if you wanted a guide, all you had to do was ask." Tawny said with a smile. "I'm an expert on all things fun in Santa Carla."

"Well that's a relief because that's exactly what I need." I smiled down at the brunette, finding it all too easy to earn her trust. Max made it seem like it might be difficult to gain her trust but maybe his problem was that he was just plain creepy.

"Okay, just let me get my mom from next door and then we can get going." Tawny said as she motioned to the store next to us.

Scratch that, no trust gained. "Your… mom?" I asked as I cocked an eyebrow at her. "You mean you want to take your mom with us?"

Tawny looked at me and shrugged. "Well, sure. Why not? She's a lot of fun. You'll like her."

"Uh, I'm not really into hanging out with moms." I replied, unsure of what to say. I definitely didn't want her mom around for multiple reasons, mostly because it would definitely affect the way I had to behave. Knowing her mom to be judgmental and protective, I couldn't be my normal self. I would have to act prim and proper and I hadn't been forced to act like that since my cousin's Confirmation eight years prior. "Look, maybe some other time then…"

"Oh, come on! That's the worst cop out in the world! At least admit it. You know you can't get into my pants with my mom around so you're not gonna even bother trying." Tawny crossed her arms and stared at me with a look that was nearly as insulting as her tone and the accusations that came with it.

I didn't know what to say to her. Well, that wasn't true. I knew exactly what I wanted to say to her but it wouldn't earn me any points with the girl. Still, I was insulted and I wasn't going to take it lying down. "Get in your pants? Give me a break! You're still a kid! And anyway, I don't hang out with moms because they cramp my style."

"Well the joke is on you then, because I have a pretty hot mom." Tawny replied haughtily. "Anyway, just scan our videos as returned so that I can leave."

"I…" I huffed lightly and looked down at the videos, not quite sure how to scan the videos back into the system. All ammunition I had for a decent rebuttal went down the drain as embarrassment began to creep its way to my face. "I don't know how."

"What do you mean you don't know how?" Tawny asked as she rolled her eyes. "Do you work here or not?"

"I do but Maria didn't teach me that part." I snapped at the girl who seemed more than capable of giving me the same attitude I gave her.

"Look, it's really easy." Tawny said as she rounded the counter and stood between me and the computer. "You pick up the handheld scanner, you scan the label on the tapes and my mom's account pops up." I watched her as she explained her actions while she did them. Sure enough, Marcy's name appeared on the computer screen before me with a number and the title of the video. "Now you hit this button right here that says _return_ and then you scan the next. Here, you try."

I took the scanner from Tawny's hand as she offered it to me and scanned the second tape. Once again, Marcy's name and account number appeared on the screen along with all of her contact information and the title of the movie. I then hit the button labeled _return_ and looked to Tawny curiously. "How'd you know how to do that?"

"I've seen Maria do it a million times." Tawny replied with a shrug. "It's super easy stuff. _I_ should be doing your job."

"So why aren't you?" I asked, and it was a legitimate question. I knew that Max would hire her in a heartbeat if she'd only ask for a job.

"The owner of the store creeps me out." She said, shrugging once more. "And anyway, my mom doesn't want me working in a place like this. It gets too much traffic. She thinks I'd meet too many degenerates working here."

"Imagine that." I said with a grin. "So your mom is super protective."

"Yeah. I'm pretty much all she's got. I mean, she has an aunt back east but they were never close and after she and my dad got divorced she's sort of been overbearing." Tawny looked at me and leaned against the counter. "I don't usually mind it so much. I mean, I've got a built in best friend no matter what. But sometimes I want to just go out and have fun. That's a big no-no as far as my mom is concerned though."

"So let's go out and have fun. She can't keep you on a short leash forever." I said, urging her to come hang out with me without her mother around. I knew I could reel her in so much easier without an overly cautious mother questioning my every move, especially when I didn't even have bad intentions to begin with. "Come on, a little rebellion is good at your age."

I could see serious consideration coming over Tawny's face. I watched her chew the inside of her cheek as she thought over coming to hang out with me. "And what would we do, exactly?" She asked as she looked up at me in curiosity.

"Well that's up to you." I replied. "You're the self-proclaimed expert on all things fun in Santa Carla. What do you wanna do?"

"Rides!" Tawny said almost excitedly. "When I was a little girl, my dad always took me on the rides but my mom never let me. She says that because they're so close to the ocean, the salt water causes the metal on them to rust faster and they're too dangerous to ride. I haven't been on them since I was a kid. I wanna ride them!"

I chuckled at her enthusiasm and nodded. "Alright, sure. We'll ride some rides. I just have to wait for-"

"David!" I heard Maria say my name in a scolding tone and I cringed. Clearly I had done something I wasn't supposed to. "You can't let other people behind the counter."

"Sorry, Maria!" Tawny said with a sheepish smile as she turned to face the other girl. "It's my fault. I was just showing him how to check the movies back into the system."

Maria's stern gaze instantly turned to a smile as she laid eyes on Tawny. "Oh, it's just you Tawny." She stopped short of us and huffed lightly. "Well, I guess I can't be too mad. But now you know, David. We can't just let people behind the counter. There's too much theft around this city. Counter and backroom are for employees only."

I nodded slowly, slightly irritated that I was being scolded like a child for Tawny's actions. Still, Maria was the daytime manager and I had to listen to her. "I understand. Sorry. So… can I clock off now?"

Maria eyed me knowingly and gave a slight smile. "Sure thing, David. You remember how to use the time clock on the computer?"

"Yeah." I replied and grabbed the mouse, clicking the time card icon on the screen. I clicked the clock out option under my name and then shoved my hands in my pockets. "Alright. You ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess." Tawny muttered with a shrug. She turned her gaze to Maria and forced an uneasy smile. "Hey, I'm sure my mom will come looking for me after a while. If you're still here when she comes, will you let her know that I made a friend and we went to hang out? Tell her I'll be back in just a couple hours. And tell her not to worry."

Maria laughed lightly and nodded her head. "Sure thing girl. Oh, and hey… David."

I turned to glance over my shoulder at Maria as she spoke my name. "Yeah?"

"Keep a close watch on her! It's dangerous out there." Maria said with a smile.

"No problem. I've got it covered." I said as I walked out of the store with Tawny trailing behind. I noticed right away that the sun had begun to set. Tawny seemed to notice this too and looked at me nervously but I only forced a smile to reassure her. "Don't worry. It's just for a couple of hours." I started toward the boardwalk with the girl by my side. I could sense her uneasiness as we rushed past the store her mother was in and made our way quickly to the boardwalk. She seemed unsure of herself until we had ride tickets in hand and were strapping ourselves into the first ride of the night, Cyclone.

It was one of those centrifuge rides that spins you around at ungodly speeds and it was also one of my favorite type of rides from when I was a kid. I looked to Tawny and noticed the bright smile on her face as she gripped the handlebars on either side of her. "You excited, kiddo?"

Tawny looked to me and nodded eagerly. "I was always too small to ride this when I was little. I always wanted to though."

"Well hold on tight because these suckers can spin your guts out!" I shouted with a laugh as the motor for the ride kicked on and we began to spin slowly. The ride quickly picked up speed and we began to spin around with such force that our bodies were pinned against the back of the ride. I looked to Tawny who was squealing loudly with her eyes clenched tight. I laughed loudly and shouted to her over the noise of the wind whipping by and the other riders' shouts. "You should see your face right now! Priceless!"

"Shut up, David!" Tawny shouted back at me as she kept her eyes clenched tight. I watched her grit her teeth as the ride continued to spin us around and around for a few more cycles before it began to slow. When it stopped, Tawny unhooked herself from the ride and made her way quickly to the solid ground of the boardwalk. I thought for sure she was going to throw up but she managed not to and I had to commend her. For a first time rider, she did pretty well.

"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" I asked with a laugh as I caught up with her.

"Holy hell, that was insane! That was nothing like the rides my dad used to take me on!" She exclaimed as she gasped for breath. "I thought I was gonna die!"

"When's the last time you rode any of these rides?" I asked, chuckling a bit more at her reaction.

"When I was five." Tawny replied as she seemed to regain her breath. "My parents got divorced soon after and I never got to ride much else because of my mom. But that was intense! I wanna ride more!"

"How about the roller coaster?" I asked, pointing toward the giant wooden coaster behind us. "It looks like fun."

"Yeah, it does!" Tawny shouted as she started toward it. "Come on, let's go!"

I snickered lightly and shook my head in disbelief at how quickly Tawny had gone from being timid about rebelling against her mom's wishes to being eager to continue doing it. Even though she was only a bit younger than me, I felt so much older than her as I watched her walk along. I thought back to when I was her age which in actuality was only about a year prior, and I thought about how I was just coming into the world at that time and how exciting and frightening that time was for me.

I had been timid at first too but as soon as I dipped my foot in the water, I was ready to dive head first into doing whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. It was interesting to stand back and watch someone else take that first step and I was curious to see how she handled the aftermath. At that point, she could either revert back to her former life or cannon ball into late night parties and disregarding her mother's rules.

I knew my job wasn't to make her wild, but hell, if I was going to be hanging out with her she was going to have to be _some_ kind of fun. Max would just have to deal with his potential step-daughter being a bit more rowdy than before.

I caught up with her at the line for the Giant Dipper and looked up at the coaster with a wide smile. "You sure you're ready for this?"

"I'm not afraid." Tawny said, nodding more to herself than to me as she looked up at the massive coaster. "I'm more than ready."

I looked to her face, smiling as I saw a hint of uncertainty while she looked up at the people already on the ride, screaming their heads off. "You know, we don't have to do this. You can just go back to the video store and forget about all this fun and rebellion."

"Ah, no way! I came all the way here! I'm not chickening out just because the rides are a bit rougher than I expected." She looked at me with a half-smile and nudged me. "You're the one who convinced me to do this, don't try to convince me to change my mind!"

I let out a small laugh and opened my mouth to tell her that I was just trying to give her an out in case she had a change of heart but the sound of someone calling her across the way stopped me. My brow crinkled as soon as I heard a male voice speaking her name and I looked to her curiously. "Someone's calling you."

Tawny cringed and ducked behind me, pulling the jean jacket she wore up over her head. "Crap, crap, crap!"

I looked down at her in confusion as she seemingly tried to hide before I turned my eyes in the direction of the person calling her. When my eyes fell on the person approaching, my heart dropped to my stomach. I recognized the face immediately, along with the face of the dark haired man following behind him.

"Hey, Tawny… I know you heard me." The blond man spoke as he stopped short of us and peered around me. I recognized him immediately as the blond who had accompanied Zach that night in the McDonalds but all I could hope was that he didn't recognize me.

I listened as Tawny grumbled under her breath before tearing the jacket off of her head and glaring at the blond guy and his brunet companion. "Go away, Paul!"

"Ah, come on. Don't be like that." The Paul guy replied with a smile. "You know Zach's been looking for you everywhere."

"Well he can keep looking!" Tawny shot back with a scowl aimed at the two. "The guy's a creep and you two are just as bad! I already told you, I don't want to run around with you guys!"

"But you'll run around with this dweeb…" Paul said with a scoff as he motioned to me. Believe me, it took every ounce of power within me not to reach out and punch him.

"He's not a dweeb! He's a nice guy! He's got a job, for one, so I know he's not some laze about leech like you three!" Tawny said as she caught a tight grip on the arm of my jacket. "Look, just leave us alone. I already told Zach, I want nothing to do with any of you."

A smile crossed the faces of the two men and the blond took a step forward, getting too close for my personal comfort. "You hear that, Dwayne? Tawny said she doesn't want nothing to do with us."

I watched as Paul reached out toward Tawny but I quickly stepped between them. "Look, asshole… the kid says she doesn't want anything to do with you so step off."

"Ooh, is that so?" Paul said with a mocking laugh. "_The kid_ says, Dwayne. Guess we better listen to her."

"What the hell's your problem, dick cheese?" I said as I reached out and shoved Paul away from us. I noticed Tawny's grip on the sleeve of my jacket tightened and she began to try to pull me backwards. I ignored her. "Do you guys like to walk around this city and harass girls or what?"

"David, just ignore them. They're worthless punks." Tawny said as she tried to beckon me away from the two. "They're not worth getting kicked off the boardwalk for."

Paul looked at me in confusion for a moment before realization dawned upon his face and he smiled at me. "Hey! I knew you looked familiar! David from McDonalds the other night!" He turned to look at Dwayne and laughed loudly. "Hey Dwayne, you remember Davey…"

I scowled at the two and kept Tawny a small distance behind me. "Go the hell away before I mangle your faces."

Paul laughed again but he took a step back from us and turned away. "Hey, next time you see Claire, tell her we said hi. See you later, kiddies."

I followed the pair with my eyes and glared at their retreating forms. I could hear Tawny speaking my name but for some reason it sounded muffled as I watched the two walk away. When she finally gained my attention, I noticed the look of worry on her face.

"David, you shouldn't mess around with those guys. They're dangerous." She looked around me as they disappeared from sight and let out a tiny sigh. "Dwayne and Paul are just punks but Zach is a dangerous guy. They're not people you want to get involved with."

"Then what are you doing being involved with them?" I asked as I looked down at her in questioning.

"I made friends with a couple of girls a few months back. They ran around with Zach, Dwayne and Paul and invited me to come along with them to a party one night. Well, I snuck out of the house and went and had a really good time but when we were headed home, some guy pulled a gun on us and tried to rob us. The other girls and I were scared, but Zach…" Tawny trailed off, a look of discomfort coming over her face. "Zach just killed the guy."

I was shocked by this bit of information. Not only had the guy who threw me to the ground in McDonalds actually killed a man, but Tawny had been there to witness it. No wonder she had been so hesitant to rebel against her mom. She had done it once already and watched a man get killed. I would've been hesitant too after that. I didn't know what to say to her other than to ask her the obvious question, so I did. "Well, did you go to the police?"

"No! Of course not! I mean, he was only protecting us. I didn't want to turn him in and get him into trouble." Tawny replied. "It's just that, he didn't stab the guy once. He stabbed him at least a dozen times. And after he stabbed him, he licked the knife clean." She wrapped her arms around herself as if fighting a shiver despite that it was far from cold outside and the fact that she was wearing a jacket. "It was the scariest thing I've ever seen! I mean, you hear about those types of guys on T.V. and in the movies but you never actually expect to meet them."

"But now he's messing with you and he won't leave you alone." I said as I looked down at her. "You've gotta do something."

"I am doing something! I'm staying away from him and the places he likes to go." Tawny said as she let out a huff and started walking away from the ride. "It's not like I can go to the cops. I saw a guy get murdered and didn't say anything about it. That makes me an accessory to murder."

I followed after Tawny quickly as she started to storm up the boardwalk. "Wait, where are you going? I thought we were gonna ride the coaster!"

"I'm going back to the video store and then I'm going home." Tawny said. "I don't want any part of Zach or the trouble that comes with him and I should've realized that going somewhere without my mom would leave me vulnerable."

"Your mom can't protect you from a guy like that if he's really how you said." I replied as I caught up with her and walked beside her. "You can't let fear control you. You're going to be vulnerable all your life and having your mom around isn't going to change that. Being vulnerable is part of being human. You just have to learn to live with it and not let yourself be afraid to live your life."

Tawny glanced at me and I could tell she didn't want to listen to my words but she seemed to accept the advice all the same. "You've got a point, I'll give you that much. But I still don't wanna be anywhere near Dwayne or Paul. They'll run straight to Zach and tell him they saw me and if he finds me again… well, let's just say I have a hard time saying no to him."

I looked to Tawny curiously, not sure what she meant by that. I'd seen Zach before and I'm not too proud to admit when another man is good looking but he wasn't so attractive that Tawny shouldn't be able to deny him. Maybe there was more to it, though I didn't press the matter. I had learned well enough that women don't like to be pressed for information.

Instead, I walked with her back to the video store and talked to her about childhood memories and how both of us had asshole flakes for fathers. I learned a bit more about her mother and how she had experienced a lot of loss in her younger years and how that was a major contributing factor in why she was so protective over Tawny. Their relationship started to make more and more sense to me as Tawny talked about her mom and I started to see the woman more as a good and loving mother like Max did and less as an overprotective control freak like I previously had.

It was a good thing too, because as soon as we stepped foot into the video store, Marcy let out a shrill cry and stormed over to us. "Tawny Michelle Johnson! How dare you!"

"H-hi, Mom…" Tawny muttered as she looked away from her mother and rubbed her arm like a little kid being scolded.

"Tawny, where were you!? Do you know you put your mother in a panic!?" Marcy shouted down at her daughter. "What were you thinking, wandering off without me? Where did you go? And who is this?"

"This is David, Mom." Tawny said as she smiled up at Marcy with a guilty grin. "He's a friend."

"A friend!? And exactly how long have you known him?" Marcy snapped as she shot her gaze to me and looked me up and down, my tight jeans and Jim Morrison t-shirt likely not what she wanted to see on any of her daughter's friends.

"Excuse me ma'am…" I started to say with as polite of a smile as I could muster. "I'm the reason Tawny went off without you and I'm really sorry. I'm new here and I-"

"Young man," Marcy said as she narrowed her eyes at me. "you have no right to interrupt my conversation with my daughter."

I blinked at Marcy after her response, trying my hardest to maintain my niceties. "With all due respect, ma'am, it doesn't sound like you're having a conversation at all. It sounds a lot more like you're yelling at your daughter for trying to have a bit of fun. Now, I'm trying to apologize and-"

"What seems to be the problem?" Max asked with a look of concern on his face as he approached the three of us standing near the entrance to the movie store.

"Your employee here convinced my daughter to run off with him while I was distracted and caused me to panic!" Marcy said as she turned to face Max. "Do you allow all your employees to run around with _underage_ teenage girls?"

"Mom!" Tawny huffed, her face growing redder by the second. "David was _not_ doing anything wrong and I'm almost seventeen anyway!" I watched her turn her gaze to Max and although I could tell she was uneasy about talking to him, she also chose to speak her mind. "David is a good employee! Don't let my mother's theatrics make you think he's not. I was the one who chose to go with him. It was my decision. I wasn't forced."

"Now, now dear. Don't worry." Max said in a kind voice as he patted Tawny's shoulder, much to her disapproval. "David won't lose his job over this little misunderstanding. I'm sure your mother is just upset because she was worried about you, and she rightfully should be. This city is a dangerous place for pretty young ladies like yourself. I'm only glad you had my boy with you while you were out."

"Your boy?" Tawny said as she shifted her gaze to me skeptically. "Like, he's your father?"

"More like a father figure. A guardian for him while he's in the city." Max said with a smile. "Youth needs guidance and that is my role in David's life. Someone to guide him and help him find his way." I watched Max turn from Tawny to clasp Marcy's hand. "Miss, I am so sorry for you to have been put through such an ordeal. My David is new to the city and he's very anxious to make friends. I'm sure he didn't mean any harm to your lovely daughter and I'm certain he didn't mean to give you such a fright."

"W-well…" Marcy began to speak hesitantly. "I suppose there was no harm done. It's not as though this young man _knew_ my daughter was supposed to remain near me at all times." She said as she glanced at Tawny quickly. "And after all, I suppose I'm glad that she was with someone who could protect her rather than wandering off by herself, even if he is a complete and total stranger."

"Perhaps he doesn't have to be a stranger." Max said in a cheery tone, almost too cheery in my opinion. "If you'll allow it, I think your daughter would make a good friend for David. She has a mother with the right kind of mindset and that tells me that she wouldn't be getting him into any trouble. After all, trouble follows a boy home and considering he lives with me, the less trouble we have at home, the better."

Marcy looked me over quietly, the look of disapproval still pasted on her face. "It's something to think about. I don't normally allow my daughter to associate with anyone from _this_ side of town."

The condescending tone dripping from Marcy's mouth didn't sit well with me. Honestly, I questioned how Max could find her attractive and I was now on the fence about whether or not she was actually Tawny's biological mom. I mean, the two seemed nothing alike, or so I thought.

Leave it to Max though; he had an answer for everything. "We actually live on the north side of town, just past the marina and further up the hill. You should stop by one of these evenings. Perhaps we can have dinner and watch a movie or two; just the four of us. I have the best selection in town."

"No way!" Tawny shouted as she glared at Max. "That's never gonna happen! You're a creep and you're not going to weasel your way into my mom's life. Come on Mom, let's go." She turned her glare toward me and scowled as she started out of the store. "Nice try, David."

I watched, completely flabbergasted as Tawny pulled her mother quickly from the video store and disappeared from sight. I then looked to Max but he didn't seem very concerned at all. "What the hell is her problem?"

"I told you, David. She's protective of her mother. It's an endearing trait." Max replied with a smile.

"Endearing trait my ass! There went all my hard work down the drain!" I said with a small grunt. "Look, I think you're in over your head. That Marcy woman is a snob and her daughter doesn't seem too fond of you either."

"Fond of _me_? No. But that will change in due time. All that matters is that she's fond of you. She defended you to her mother and to me. You obviously made quite an impression on her." Max said as he put his hand on my shoulder, leading me out of the store. "Give it time David. Everything will work out in the end. You just have to give it time."


	7. Like Candy From a Baby

Wow, that last chapter was a long one, wasn't it? Well this one isn't quite as long, thankfully.

So now that she's been formally introduced, I'd like to talk about Tawny a bit more. Don't worry, she is not David's love interest. I want to stress that as much as possible. She's NOT his type. Being a California boy, I figure that David likes California girls and the epitome of a California girl in the 80's was bleach blonde hair and a killer tan. Also, he likes them a bit tall and Tawny probably measures in at an astounding 5'4". She's short.

That isn't to say the lack of attraction is mutual… but, well, you'll see what I mean.

Anyhow, enjoy this next chapter! The plot thickens (sort of.)

* * *

And time is exactly what it took. Tawny and Marcy didn't come to rent their traditional two movies on the following Friday night. I'd never seen a look of such disappointment on a person's face than I did on Max that night. I had no idea what was going through his head at the time but I'm sure he thought what I thought; Tawny and Marcy were never coming back to that video store again.

So imagine my surprise the following Wednesday afternoon when Tawny came wandering into the video store. It was a boring day that day and it was just me and Maria again. I'd spent a majority of my time dusting off shelves and movies and sweeping. I was amazed at how quick things can get dirty and dusty when you're near the beach.

Maria was on her lunch break and I was left with the store all to myself. I was in the middle of sweeping out behind the counter when I heard footsteps shuffling across the linoleum floor. I looked up to see a familiar face pretending not to notice me. I sat my broom aside and started over, shoving my hands in my pockets as I got closer. "Hey."

"Hey." Tawny muttered as she glanced at me, pretending to browse the movies of the section she was standing in.

I could tell she wasn't certain if she wanted to be there but she came all the same so I figured the least I could do was try not to make it awkward for her. "How've you been?"

"I've been good." Tawny said as she turned to face me. "I've been grounded, but I've been good."

"Grounded?" I said with a small smirk coming across my face. "That sucks."

"Yeah, tell me about it. And I have you to thank." Tawny replied as she crossed her arms. "So thanks a lot."

"Hey, you didn't have to go with me. It was just a simple invite." I said as I stared down at the girl. "Don't try to put the blame on me. You _knew_ your mom was going to freak out. I just thought you'd like to have a little fun without your mom breathing down your neck. It's not like I knew she was going to go ballistic."

"Don't give me that crap! Your creepy manager friend Max has been trying to get my mom to go out on a date with him for months." Tawny said as the pointed an accusing finger at me. "I bet he told you all about me and my mom and that he wanted you to try and date me so that he could get to my mom."

I didn't know what to say to Tawny, majorly because her accusations were mostly true. The fact was, Max knew _a lot_ about the girl and her mother and he had specifically said that he wanted me to get close to her. Of course, I couldn't let her know that. "Look, kid… you're pretty and all but you're not my type. I like blonde girls with tans. I'm not into brunettes so even if Max wanted me to date you, I wouldn't."

"Wow, you really know how to compliment a girl, don't you?" Tawny said as she cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Look, I didn't mean it like that." I said, leaning against the counter as I eyed Tawny. "I'm just trying to make a friend. I don't know anyone here and you seemed like a cool girl. That's all."

I watched as Tawny pursed her lips in an annoyed expression and looked me up and down. I could tell she was taking consideration of my words and I hoped she bought into them because I really needed her to believe that I just wanted her friendship. She was smarter than I gave her credit for and if she figured out that I really was working to try and get her mom and Max together, I might as well kiss my comfy new home goodbye because there was no way she was going to go for it and that would make me useless to Max.

"Alright, I'll buy it." Tawny said as she stepped toward me slowly. "I mean, you've got a pretty sad existence. Living with a creep like Max, in a city like this, with no friends? I can see how my friendship would be of value to you. I guess we can be friends."

"Gee, you're so generous." I replied, fighting a small chuckle at my own sarcasm.

"Look, the real reason I came was to apologize. I didn't like the way my mom talked to you. She always judges people by the way they look. She never gives them a chance. She thinks if a person isn't dressed in Ivy League attire, they're a trouble maker." Tawny laughed a bit and motioned down toward her own clothes which consisted of tight jean pants, a tank top and her jean jacket. "So of course she just thinks I'm hell on wheels."

"What are you talking about? You _are_ hell on wheels! You're sneaking off without your mom and riding dangerous rides at an amusement park! You're a parent's worst nightmare! A genuine rebel without a cause!" I said as I gave her a slight nudge, mocking her a bit.

"Hardy har, David." Tawny said as she nudged me back. "You know, laugh all you want but I've been in some pretty bad situations. I sneak out all the time and sometimes it goes well. Other times it doesn't."

"Yeah, that Zach guy…" I said as I looked down at her curiously. "I still can't believe that. I mean, he _killed_ somebody. How do you not go to the cops about that, whether he was protecting you or not?"

"You've gotta understand, David. Santa Carla is full of death. People go missing and die here every day. The police would be all too happy to pin countless murders on a couple of people and make the community think that they're cracking down on the crime here. I was scared. I mean, what if they didn't believe us? What if we all got in trouble? We were already drinking that night so it isn't like we were being good, upstanding teenagers. We were drunk on our way home from a party." Tawny looked at me and shrugged. "I didn't know what to do. I didn't want anyone to know about it."

"But you told _me_." I said, actually not sure why she had told me to begin with.

"Well that's because you acted like you were ready to fight Dwayne and Paul. I didn't want you to get hurt. Zach's the type that would hunt you down for messing with his friends. He's bad news." Tawny replied as she looked up at me.

"How long did you hang out with this Zach guy?" I asked, curious to know just how much trouble she'd gotten herself into with him. At the very least, it would be good to have that information in case I needed it.

"A couple nights maybe. Sometimes we'd hang out at McDonalds where one of the girls, Claire, worked." Tawny answered with another shrug.

"Wait, Claire? As in the brunette cashier with the brown eyes and a super sweet personality?" I asked, looking down at Tawny with a feeling of unease crawling into the pit of my stomach.

Tawny nodded slowly, confusion spreading over her face at my words. "Yeah, how did you know?"

"That Zach guy was in there harassing her with his friends two weeks ago! I tried to get them to leave her alone and the asshole stomped all over my food!" Yes, I happened to leave out the part of the story where I tried to punch him and got thrown on my ass. "Claire thanked me for standing up for her after they left and said if I came back Friday she would try to get some work for me but when I came back, she wasn't there."

"Oh my god." Tawny muttered as she covered her mouth with her hand. "Like, she hasn't been back at all?"

"I don't know." I said with a shrug. "I only came back that Friday. I haven't been back since because I got a job here."

I watched as Tawny stepped slowly away from the counter and out of the store. I didn't know where she was going but I couldn't follow her and leave the store unattended. She returned shortly, her face even paler than normal and she was clutching a piece of paper in her hand. She held it up to me slowly and for some reason, before I even had the chance to look at it, I knew what it was.

It was a missing poster with Claire's face on it. She was smiling and bubbly in what appeared to be a senior class yearbook photo, her brown curls in perfect form around her face.

I turned my eyes to Tawny and saw that her hands were trembling. Clearly, she had every reason to be concerned. "You don't think…"

"Wh-what am I supposed to think, David?" Tawny said with a shaky voice. "You said you saw Zach harassing her and now she turns up missing. I've seen him kill a person. What if he killed Claire? What if he's planning on killing me?"

"Hey now, calm down." I said as I sat the missing poster on the counter and placed my hands on Tawny's shoulders to calm her. "That Zach guy is not going to hurt you."

"Why wouldn't he? I know what he's done. I know what he's capable of and now Dwayne and Paul have seen me so I'm sure he knows I've been out and about." Tawny looked up at me with legitimate fear on her face. It was weird to see someone so terrified and to know that they had every reason to feel that way. Still, if she became a homebody, that would hinder my efforts to get her mom involved with Max. I had to reassure her that she would be alright.

"Hey, remember what I told you? You can't let fear control you." I said in an effort to comfort the girl.

"Easy for you to say! You don't have a murderer after you!" Tawny replied, her hands still shaking. "What am I gonna do, David?"

"Hang out with me." I offered with a shrug. I could totally use this life threatening situation to my advantage. "All the time, everywhere you go. You can even come over every time you feel threatened, just in case he finds out where you live."

"Oh my god, he _does_ know where I live!" Tawny said with a gasp. "But… my mom isn't going to let me just go to your house whenever."

"So your mom can come too." I said with a shrug. "You'd both be safer that way."

"No! There's no way! I don't want that Max creep getting anywhere near my mom." Tawny said, her look of worry quickly shifting to a scowl.

"Jeeze, what is your beef with Max?" I asked, forcing a chuckle to lighten the mood. "He's a nice guy. And anyway, he's better than Zach."

"You're right, it's just…" Tawny sighed and leaned against the counter again. "I've heard some really weird things about the guy."

"From who?" I asked as I cocked an eyebrow at her.

"From this girl I went to school with. She's kinda weird herself but she told everyone in school about how the movie store manager was trying to get her sister to date him. Her sister is in her twenties and Max is what? Forty something? That's just weird. Not to mention he's probably a millionaire. I mean, the area of town you guys live in isn't cheap. Plus he owns a movie store so you know he's gotta be rich. What's a guy like that doing trying to get involved with a girl in her twenties? I mean, really." Tawny said, crossing her arms as she looked up at me skeptically.

"Maybe she was really nice. Or maybe she was really mature for her age. I don't really know but it isn't like he's still got his eyes on her. I think he likes your mom now and I think you'd like him too if you gave him a chance." I said as I rounded the counter and began sweeping again. "Sometimes people surprise you. You might like him if you quit being such a grouch."

"Fine." Tawny replied as she turned to face me. "But I'm warning you, if he hurts my mom I'm holding you fully responsible."

"Relax, kiddo." I said with a smile as I reached out to ruffle her hair. "Not everybody in this city is out to hurt others."

"Yeah, yeah." Tawny said with a half smirk. "I'll believe it when I see it."


	8. Hook, Line and Sinker

I really don't know what to say about this chapter so I think I'll just give it to you guys and leave it at that.

Enjoy! :)

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"I'm so proud of you, David." Max said as he adjusted his tie for probably the hundredth time in a five minute period. "I can't believe you managed to convince Tawny and Marcy to come over for dinner. Tawny was always so against my invitations to her and her mother. What changed?"

I shrugged at Max's question, not sure if I really wanted him to know that Tawny was trying to hide out from a guy that had killed a person or two. I mean, she'd told me that in confidence. I couldn't just break her trust. "Tawny just… has a lot going on right now. I think she really needs a friend and I offered to be one to her."

"You're a good kid, David. I knew I made the right decision, choosing you." Max said with a smile as he placed his hand on my shoulder. "Come with me to the garage. I want to show you something."

I looked at Max curiously as he led me toward the garage. I hadn't been in there since the first night I'd come to live with Max, mostly because every time I tried to open the door, Bridgette growled at me. I was sure the dog hated me. The only time she was even remotely civil to me was when Max had her in the house, but even then, if I got too close she would snap at me.

She didn't raise her head at us when we entered the garage, however. In fact, she seemed to ignore our presence altogether. Her belly had gotten even bigger and I knew she would be having that litter of pups any day.

We stepped past the dog and Max brought me over to something covered in a sheet. I looked down at it, curious as to what it could be.

"I want to thank you, David." Max said as he motioned to the sheet. "You've been an exceptional help to me these past two weeks. Not only were you able to befriend Tawny, but you convinced her and Marcy to give me a chance. I know that things will only get better from here on and so this is my gift to you. Just a little something to show my gratitude."

I looked at Max in confusion. I mean, whatever was under the sheet was massive. I tried to think what he could've possibly gotten me that could be that big and still be menial enough that I wouldn't feel like an ass for accepting it. After all, I hadn't really done much other than hang out with a pretty girl. I didn't even think I deserved a gift for that.

I grabbed the sheet and pulled it back and my heart dropped into my stomach. I couldn't believe what I was staring down at. There was no way I deserved something like that, or at least, that was what I was thinking. In reality, it was just Max's way of bribing me. I was just too naïve to see it at the time. "A… motorbike?" My eyes flew to Max but he was only smiling. I didn't know what to say and my mouth sort of went dry so I just looked back at the bike.

"If you don't like it, I can always take it back and get you something bigger." Max said with a small laugh.

"Why?" I asked as I ran my hand over the cool leather of the seat. "I mean, why did you get me this? I didn't do anything."

"You've done more than enough, David. I can never thank you enough for your efforts, actually." Max placed a hand on my shoulder and gripped it tightly. "You've done everything I asked. You deserve this. Besides, you'll need it to get back and forth from work or to wherever you want to go. I bought one for all my other boys and they didn't deserve it even half as much as you do."

I didn't know what to say, other than to mutter the words "Thanks, Max…" as I covered the bike back up. Then the doorbell rang and I was snapped back to the reality that I wouldn't have time to ride my new bike yet. Tawny and Marcy were there and I was going to have to put on my best behavior and pretend to be a saint for Max's sake.

We exited the garage and made our way to the front door where Marcy and Tawny stood waiting. When Max opened the door, he instantly began to pour on the charm, kissing Marcy's hand as though he was some kind of gentleman from the 1800's. I tried not to roll my eyes, especially because Marcy seemed to appreciate the gesture. Tawny on the other hand was making gagging faces at me when the two adults weren't looking and I had to fight my laughter.

Max motioned to me as he allowed Marcy to enter the house and smiled proudly. I'll admit, it felt nice to have someone seem so proud of me. In my teen years, it became obvious that my parents never felt that way about me. Max however, he seemed damned proud. "Marcy, you remember David."

"Tawny's little… _friend_." Marcy said as she looked me over with her same skeptical glare. "Yes, I remember him."

I painted a smile on my face and nodded my head to the woman. "Good to see you again ma'am." I held the door open so that Tawny could come in and ruffled her hair as she made her way into the house before closing the door behind her. "How you doing, kiddo?"

"Doing okay, I guess. Considering I'm on a double date with my mom." Tawny replied, curling her nose in disgust.

"Tawny, this is _not_ a date." Marcy interrupted as she cocked an eyebrow at her daughter. "You said you want to be friends with this boy and so I'm indulging you on that but first I have to approve."

"And how about the house, ma'am?" I asked with a mischievous tone. "Does it meet your standards?"

"The house is very nice." Marcy said as she turned her attention to Max. "You've got impeccable taste. I love your design sense and the location is breathtaking. I bet the view of the sunset is amazing."

Max smiled and bowed his head humbly at Marcy's praises. "Truthfully, I wouldn't know. I always work nights so my sleep schedule is off kilter. As for my design, I just like to keep up with modern times. I guess I'm just trying to hold on to my youth. Some people buy fancy cars, I redesign my home every few years." Max said with a chuckle.

Marcy laughed at Max's corny joke and both Tawny and I rolled our eyes. I watched as Max led Marcy to the dining room and Tawny and I lagged behind. "Well, they seem to be hitting it off." I whispered quickly.

"Which is exactly what I didn't want." Tawny replied. "This was a bad idea. I never should've listened to you."

"Oh, so you'd rather be sitting at home worrying about whether or not Zach is going to burst through your door and stab you to death?" I retorted with a smirk which only earned me an elbow to the gut.

"Not funny, David!" Tawny whispered shrilly. "Look, I don't want my mom to know about that so just hush up!"

"Fine, fine." I said as I held my hands up in surrender. "Forget I said anything. Look, let's just go eat dinner and try to enjoy ourselves. Max cooked steak so I hope you're hungry."

"Not really, but alright." Tawny said with a sigh as she allowed me to lead her to the dining room. When we arrived, Max and Marcy were already sitting at the table flirting up a storm. I could tell by Marcy's body language that she was very much into Max and the look on his face showed that he was completely aware of it. I couldn't help but smile. Tawny on the other hand was grumbling in irritation.

I took a seat near Max at the head of the table, across from Marcy. Tawny sat beside her mother. It was quiet at first as Max began to lift the lids covering the food at the table. There was steak, salad, some kind of potato dish and warm bread rolls. It was almost like a restaurant and I couldn't believe Max went through such an effort to impress Marcy.

I was hoping the conversation would be just between the two of them and Tawny and I could eat our dinners and be out of their way but Marcy had other plans. As soon as I cut my first piece of steak and brought it to my lips, the older woman asked me a question and I knew better than to talk with my mouth full so I waited to take a bite.

"So, David, was it? What high school do you attend?" Marcy asked before taking a long sip of the water in her glass.

I lowered the hand that held my forked piece of steak and looked up at Marcy quietly, not sure if letting her know my age was a good thing. "I… uhm, graduated, actually." I stammered out.

"You've already graduated." Marcy repeated as she glanced quickly at Tawny but Tawny seemed oblivious, sawing at her steak slowly with a bored expression on her face. Marcy turned her attention back to me and raised an eyebrow. "Did you play any sports when you _were_ in high school?"

"No, I just played guitar." I replied with a smile. "Electric guitar. You know, like in a band for a little while."

Marcy's gaze narrowed at me in irritation at my clearly smart ass answer. "What high school did you say you graduated from?"

"Salinas High, ma'am. It's in Salinas California." I said quickly, fighting the small smirk that was climbing to my face at Marcy's irritable scowl.

"Aren't you an awfully long way from home for someone so young? And what do your parents think?" Marcy asked, leaning against the table as she stared at me.

"What do my parents think?" I repeated the question in the same way that she had repeated the information that I had already graduated. I considered telling her that I didn't give a shit about what my parents thought but I figured that answer might not sit well with her. Instead I lied, because why not? "Well my mother passed away when I was still really young and my father…" I trailed off and feigned a sad sigh to seem convincing. "My dad did the best he could but his best wasn't good enough. He kinda started hitting the bottle pretty hard. I just needed to get out, so I came here. Thankfully I met Max. He's been like a father to me in so many ways. I'm really lucky."

"And David has been a help to me." Max interrupted before I could elaborate more on my lie. "He really is a perfect employee and he keeps me company. He also keeps my dog, Bridgette, company when I'm asleep during the day."

"You have a dog?" Tawny asked excitedly as she seemed to snap from whatever self-induced daze she was in at the mention of a dog. Her eyes were bright with joy as she began to look around the room. "Where? Can I see it?"

Max smiled and nodded at Tawny before looking to me. "David, why don't you let Bridgette into the house?"

"Sure thing…" I mumbled, slightly irritated that I had yet to take a bite of my food. I stood slowly and entered the kitchen, making my way to the garage. I opened the door and called to Bridgette with a click of my tongue against the back of my teeth which usually got her up and bombarding her way into the house but this time she didn't budge. I stepped further into the garage and looked down at the dog, noticing right away that she was panting heavily but seemed entirely lucid. I reached down to touch her slowly and she didn't growl at me.

That was when I knew something was wrong.

I hurried back into the house and stepped into the dining room to look at Max with concern. "Something's wrong with Bridgette."

Tawny jumped to her feet worriedly despite that it wasn't even her dog but Max stood slowly and wiped his mouth and hands on his napkin. He looked to me with a hint of concern and furrowed his brow. "Do you think she's gone into labor?"

"I… I don't know." I replied. "I've never had a dog before."

"Oh, you're having puppies?" Tawny said excitedly. "My mom and I can help deliver them!"

"Now, now dear. I wouldn't dream of having you help deliver pups in the nice clothes you're both wearing. I'm sure David and I can handle it." Max said as he started toward the garage.

"It wouldn't be any trouble." Marcy said with a smile and she stood as though she was going to follow us. "Tawny and I used to breed dogs when she was still a little girl. We know all about it."

"Well, I suppose if you don't mind." Max replied with a shrug. He led the three of us through the kitchen and out into the garage where Bridgette lay. He rushed over and pulled the sheet that covered my motorbike off so that Marcy and Tawny would have something to kneel on besides the cold dirty ground of the garage.

I sort of stood back and watched as Marcy and Tawny removed their bracelets and pulled their sleeves back, clearly prepared to get very dirty. All the while, I just kept thinking that I really hoped it didn't take long because I was hungry.

The whole ordeal lasted about two hours which seemed like a long time to me but according to Marcy, it was actually very fast and sometimes dogs could be in labor for over twenty-four hours.

When all was said and done, Bridgette had six little snowballs curled up next to her and Tawny couldn't have been more excited. She turned to Max and looked at him eagerly. "How much are you going to sell them for?"

"Well, White Shepherds are fairly rare when looking at most Shepherd breeds." Max said as he ran a hand over Bridgette's head. "And Bridgette and the stud I bred her with are both champion bred dogs. I'd say I could easily get eight hundred per pup. Maybe a bit more."

"Oh…" Tawny looked down at the pups sadly and I could tell she was hoping to buy one. Not having a job, however, clearly put a dent in that plan. Eight hundred bucks was a lot of money to pay, especially for something that just eats, poops and sleeps.

"But, you know… I didn't breed Bridgette to make money." Max added as he reached down and picked up one of the white little fuzz balls. "So I suppose if you wanted a pup, assuming it's alright with your mother of course, I don't see why you can't have one."

I watched as Tawny's eyes lit up in excitement and a bright smile came across her face. "Really?" She looked to her mom quickly before turning her gaze back to the litter. "Mom, can I?"

"Max, that's really a lot for you to offer." Marcy said with a warm smile directed at Max and I could tell that she was starting to fall for him; hook, line and sinker. "These pups are worth a lot of money."

Max shrugged and replaced the pup he had picked up back beside its mother. "They're just pups, Marcy. I find that friends and family are far more important than any monetary gain. If Tawny wants a companion, I have no problem with letting her have one. A girl needs friends."

"I suppose she does." Marcy said in agreement with Max's statement.

And it seemed like just that easily, everything began to fall into place exactly how Max had wanted it. Marcy was falling for Max, Tawny didn't seem to dislike him anymore and now I was to be by Tawny's side as a friend and protector.

If somebody had told me on my first day in Santa Carla that my life was going to turn out that way, I would've hurried to that point.

Of course, all good things must come to an end, but I guess I'm getting ahead of myself.


	9. Fish Tacos and Masturbation Talk

Hey everyone! It's Thanksgiving week and that means that it is time to feast! Therefore, I'm going to upload a chapter either every day or every other day this week.

As for this chapter, there were others before it but they were short and unimportant and didn't really contribute much to the story at all so I chose to scrap them. We have another character joining the cast now. He's definitely a fan favorite. :)

Enjoy!

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Two weeks had passed by and Tawny had been spending nearly every day at Max's house. She told me she was coming to avoid any possible confrontation with Zach but I knew she was really only coming over for the pups. She spent a majority of her time out in the garage watching the pups until it came time for me to go to work, at which point she would either have me take her back to her house or she would go with me to the video store and hang out until Marcy got off work and came to pick her up.

It was pretty much the same routine day in and day out and it was beginning to get a bit boring, but it was life and I couldn't complain. Still, I wanted to go out and do things that didn't involve work and dogs. Tawny was still the only friend I had in the city outside of Max and trying to convince her to venture out was harder than it originally had been, likely thanks to the threat of Zach roaming the streets.

It was just another day, but it happened to be Thursday and I had the day off. Marcy dropped Tawny off at Max's house as usual and Tawny walked right in, knocking no longer necessary at that point. I was sitting on the couch eating a bowl of Count Chocula and watching music videos on MTV when she entered the room and looked me over.

"You knew I was coming over. The least you could do was put some clothes on." Tawny muttered as she walked over and stole a marshmallow from my bowl, plopping it into her mouth.

"I'm wearing a shirt and underwear." I said as I glanced down at myself, my baggy white shirt covering a majority of my underwear anyhow.

"Whatever. I'm going to go check on the puppies." Tawny replied, turning away from me slowly as though she wanted me to say more, so I stopped her.

"Hey wait, come sit down for a second." I patted the spot on the couch next to me but kept my eyes glued on the television. "I'm watching MTV."

"If I wanted to listen to music, David, I'd turn on the radio." Tawny said as she walked back over to me. "You know, there's more to life than wasting your days off sitting on a couch watching MTV."

"Like what? Sitting in a garage watching a bunch of pups?" I retorted, catching a quick glance of Tawny giving me the finger. "Come on, just sit down and watch this video with me."

Tawny let out a dramatic sigh and sat down beside me, crossing her arms over her chest. "What video?"

"Dancing With Myself." I replied as I took another mouthful of chocolaty goodness. I chewed it quickly and looked to Tawny who was staring at the screen with a bored expression. "Hey, what do you think of that guy's hair?"

Tawny cocked her head to the side, examining Billy Idol's hair as he danced across the screen. "I like the color…" She said with a shrug. "Blond guys are always cute."

"Well I'm a blond and I don't hear you giving me any compliments." I said as I ran my hand through my dirty blond locks.

"That's because your hair is practically brown, David." Tawny picked up a piece of my hair and tugged it roughly. "Maybe if you went blond like that, girls would like you more."

"Hey, you think?" I asked stupidly with a mouthful of cereal, the chocolate milk dripping down my gruffy face.

Tawny scoffed and rolled her eyes as she stood up to walk away. "Seriously, David? Jeeze, you're such a child."

"Hey, let's go do something today." I said, ignoring her insult.

She paused and looked back at me, cocking her eyebrow. "Like what?"

"I dunno… ride my bike at the dunes or something." I replied with a shrug as I kept my eyes fixed to the television, though I could see her annoyed look out of the corner of my eye.

Tawny grumbled and shook her head at me. "You know how I feel about going out, David. What if Zach-"

"To hell with Zach. I won't let him touch you." I said as I sat my bowl down and turned to face her. "I'm tired of this whole _same shit, different day_ lifestyle we've been living. I have the day off and I wanna go out and do something fun. I know you won't stay here with Max by yourself so you might as well go with me."

Tawny stared down at me and I could tell she was trying hard to keep an annoyed expression painted on her face. "David, the puppies just opened their eyes and started stumbling around. It's really cute!"

"It's really cute any other day of the week. Today we need to get out of this house and do something fun. You're still the self-proclaimed expert on all things fun in Santa Carla, right?" I stood slowly and picked up my bowl, grinning at Tawny's irritated scowl. "So come on, kiddo. Show me something fun."

"Fine. Just get some clothes on so we can go already. I'll be waiting in the garage." Tawny turned away from me and I watched her disappear into the kitchen.

I listened for her to open and close the garage door and as soon as she did, I drank the chocolate milk in my bowl and set it on the coffee table. I then hurried to my bathroom and stripped down, rushed through a shower and then went to get dressed. As soon as I was fully clothed and my boots were laced up, I entered the garage to find Tawny sitting with one of the pups in her lap. I snickered at her and held out a hand to help her up. "Have you decided yet?"

"No… they're all so cute, it's hard to choose." Tawny replied as she put the pup back into the giant box we'd got for Bridgette to lay in with her babies. She then grabbed my hand and allowed me to pull her up. "I think it'll take a couple more weeks."

"I meant where we're going to go. The beach, the boardwalk, the dunes?" I opened the garage door and started over to my bike. Tawny followed me out and closed the garage door behind me once I had backed my bike out of the garage. "Where are we going?"

Tawny let out a heavy sigh and climbed onto the back of the bike, wrapping her arms around my waist. "I don't know, David. I don't care."

"Jeeze, don't be such a stick in the mud." I started my bike and revved the engine, driving down the back driveway. I pulled into the alleyway and rocketed down until I came to the neighborhood. I liked to go down the street slowly, just because there were a lot of kids that played outside in the hoity toity neighborhood we lived in. Once we were in a worse part of town, however, I had no qualms about hauling ass. I rushed my way past all the traffic until I reached the parking lot for the boardwalk. It was already really crowded considering it was a Thursday morning but it was nothing compared to what it was normally like on a weekend night.

Tawny seemed uneasy but I knew it was likely because she was just worried about Zach. I didn't know how to convince her that we were friends and as her friend, if Zach dared lay a finger on her I would knock him flat on his ass, or at least try to.

We made our way to the boardwalk and I bought a bunch of ride tickets, determined that we were going to ride more than just one ride that time.

Tawny was reluctant at first but as the day wore on and we got more and more rides under our belt, she seemed to loosen up and enjoy herself. It was about two in the afternoon and the smile I was used to seeing on her face was back in full force as we began to leave the boardwalk to grab a bite to eat. That smile fell, however, when we both heard someone calling her name.

The voice was unfamiliar but that didn't stop the initial bad feeling within me that Zach had found Tawny and it was all my fault. We both turned to see who was calling to her but relief flooded both our faces when our eyes fell on a small nerdy guy riding the Ferris wheel. He was smiling and waving like an idiot while the wheel was stopped.

"Marko…" Tawny groaned and gave a small wave, forcing the most pained smile I've ever seen.

"Who's Marko?" I asked, looking between the boy and Tawny.

"A classmate of mine." Tawny replied through gritted teeth, still forcing that pained smile. "We've gone to school together since we were kids. He's a total melvin."

"A _total_ melvin." I agreed, shielding my eyes from the sun to get a better look at the kid. He had curly, short brown hair that reminded me of a poodle and glasses thicker than my pinky finger. He was dressed like a prep which only made him look even dorkier and I imagined that the kid was the subject of much ridicule at school. "Jeeze."

"He's like, the _only_ kid from school that my mom approves of me hanging out with." Tawny gave a final wave to Marko before grabbing my jacket sleeve and turning me away. "Come on, let's go before he gets off the ride and catches up with us."

"Ah, come on kiddo… he seems pretty excited to see you." I said with a chuckle. "Let's just wait for him."

"David, stop screwing around." Tawny said as she continued on down the boardwalk.

I laughed at her and shook my head, standing my ground. "I'm not screwing around. The poor guy is riding the Ferris wheel all by himself. That's pretty sad. Don't you think it'd be nice to let him tag along with us? At least for a little while."

"Well, I'm not a nice person." Tawny argued back. "Come on, David. This guy has had a huge crush on me since we were kids. I don't want him following me around."

"He likes you? Ah, you should totally go on a date with him then!" I said with a laugh, razzing Tawny despite her obvious irritation. "Come on, don't you know how it feels to like someone and they don't feel the same way?"

Tawny turned to me and scowled, crossing her arms as she came back over to me. "Yeah, David. I kinda know exactly what that feels like."

"So let's wait for him. There's no harm in letting him hang out with us. You'll be doing a good deed. Consider it a public service." I reached out and ruffled Tawny's hair before wrapping my arm around her neck and pulling her with me toward the Ferris wheel. She seemed so furious but I knew she'd eventually get over it.

We stood waiting for the Ferris wheel to let Marko off and as soon as it did, he rushed over to us with a bright smile. "Hey Tawny! How's your summer going?"

"Fine, Marko." Tawny muttered as she stared at the ground. "It's going just fine."

"Is this your boyfriend?" Marko asked as he looked up at me, hand trembling slightly but ready to shake mine.

I laughed at his question and reached out to grab the kid's hand. "Ha! No, no! More like an older brother."

"More like a pain in the ass." Tawny mumbled under her breath.

"The name's David. You're Marko… Tawny has told me so much about you." I said as I shook the boy's hand and Tawny glared at me with fire in her eyes.

"Really?" Marko looked from me to Tawny and back again. "That's surprising."

"Ah, Tawny talks about you all the time!" I said, grinning widely though I knew Tawny was going to be so completely furious with me later that I'd never hear the end of it. "She was just telling me how-"

"David, I'm hungry." Tawny interrupted with a glare. "Let's go get something to eat and then head to the video store. I want to talk to Maria and maybe get a movie. It's been a long day."

"Are you kidding me? We've only been out for a couple of hours!" I looked at Tawny but the look in her eyes told me not to press my luck with her. I let out a small huff and rolled my eyes. "Fine, let's go get something to eat."

"Have you tried fish tacos?" Marko asked the two of us. "There's a place a short walk from here that has these delicious fish tacos! They're pretty cheap too."

"That sounds amazing." I said as Tawny echoed me that it sounded disgusting. I started walking and motioned for Marko to follow. "Cheap seafood? I'm all over it."

"It's my favorite place. Nine times out of ten, I'm eating there." Marko replied as he led the way. Despite his total dweebish appearance, the kid didn't seem to be that dorky at all. He seemed to be just another victim of an overbearing parental figure and as Tawny could attest to, that didn't make somebody a square.

I felt the sudden urge to take the kid under my wing and cool him up a bit. Maybe then he'd have a chance finding a girlfriend, possibly Tawny, though she was very pigheaded.

We walked up to the place that served fish tacos and Tawny seemed entirely irritated when she looked at the menu. They had one item on the menu and that was it. "They don't serve _anything_ else?" She asked, looking to Marko in near desperation.

"Why mess with a good thing?" Marko said with a laugh. "Trust me Tawny, you'll love them."

Tawny curled her nose in disgust and shook her head. "I really don't think-"

"Tawn, just eat a damn fish taco." I said as I rolled my eyes. I could tell she was growing angrier by the second but I also wasn't going to put up with her stubborn bullshit. When she refused to order, I took it upon myself to order ten fish tacos and two sodas, a Pepsi for me and a root beer for her. When Marko and I received our food, we went and sat at a table in the shade and stared down at our feast.

Tawny sat across from me and stared at my tray in a mixture of disbelief and disgust. "I can't believe you're going to eat ten tacos, David."

"I'm not. I'm going to eat eight. The other two are for you." I replied as I picked up one of the tacos and carted it over to Tawny's mouth. I looked at her expectantly but she only stared right back at me. "Come on, kiddo. Where's your sense of adventure?"

Tawny stared at me for a good long while and it suddenly turned into a test of wills; who would be able to hold out the longest. Normally when these types of situations arose with her, I gave up easily because I just didn't care enough to try and stand my ground. This time I wasn't going to budge though.

I began to wave the taco back and forth in front of her face until she finally reached up and took it from my hands. I smiled in satisfaction and watched as she took a bite, trying really hard not to enjoy it. "How's it taste?"

"It tastes like fish… in a taco." Tawny said with the food still rolling around in her mouth. She took another bite and smiled bitterly as I grinned widely.

"So what's next? Maria and the movie store?" I asked before shoving one of my tacos completely in my mouth.

Tawny nodded and continued to eat her taco sparingly. "Yeah, Max said something about a new order of movies coming in September. It's September now so I wanna see if they've arrived."

"Uhg, don't remind me that it's September." Marko said in a half whine. "I am not ready to go back to school."

"At least it's senior year." Tawny said with a shrug. "And anyway, at least we get to go back to school shopping. That's always good."

"Good for you, maybe." Marko said, further confirming my belief that he really wasn't a total dork and only forced into it by his parents. "My mom always does my shopping for me."

"That's what we should do." I said as I clapped my hands together. "I should go shopping with you kids and make sure you're dressed to impress on your first day as big bad seniors."

"Like you know anything about fashion." Tawny said as she rolled her eyes at me. "You want to color your hair like that guy on that music video."

"What music video?" Marko asked curiously before taking a bite of one of his tacos.

"Dancing With Myself." I replied though I was looking at Tawny with an irritable stare. "And anyway, you're the one that suggested it, smarty pants. I'm not actually going to pay to go to a salon and have my hair screwed with."

"You know that song is about masturbation." Marko said, taking another bite of a taco.

Tawny nearly spit out her food and I was laughing so hard at the declaration, I nearly choked on the bit of taco in my mouth. "H-holy shit. How do you come to that conclusion?" I asked with a chuckle.

"Listen to the lyrics." Marko said with a shrug. "It's totally about masturbating. If you think about it, another term for sex is the horizontal tango. Tango is a type of dance and if he's dancing with himself, he's saying he's having sex with himself. How do you have sex with yourself? You masturbate."

I was dying of laughter at this point but Tawny's face was beat red, especially when a couple of old ladies walked by, mouths agape at the conversation at hand.

"Can we quit talking about sex and masturbation, please?" Tawny said as she shielded her face from passersby.

"You started this conversation kiddo." I said as I reached across the table and nudged Tawny playfully. "Talking about me coloring my hair."

"It's actually pretty easy to do." Marko said. "You can do it yourself at home with a bottle or two of peroxide. It's way cheaper than going to a salon too."

"Marko, please don't encourage him." Tawny said but it was too late. I was already all ears.

"How?" I asked, a little more than anxious.

"Well if you just want to frost your hair, you spray the peroxide on with a squirt bottle and leave it till you get the color you want. If you want to do all your hair, just saturate it with the peroxide and then wash it out when you get the color you want. It might take a couple of days to get the color you want but it's still cheaper than getting it done by a professional." He shrugged and took another bite of taco. "My mom does it all the time."

"Tawn…" I said with a wide grin.

"No David." Tawny took a sip of her root beer and looked away from me.

"Tawn!" I reached across the table and poked Tawny's arm. "Come on, Tawn!"

Tawny looked at me with an irritated expression. "David."

We stared at each other for a long while and silence fell over the table. We were both so stubborn. Neither one of us said another word for the next thirty minutes as I continued to pound my tacos one after the other.

After we were finished with our late lunch, the three of us walked to the movie store.

Tawny spent a good amount of time talking with Maria while Marko and I browsed the movies. I of course knew all the movies by heart but I was interested to see if we had gotten anything new yet.

Before we even realized what time it was, the sun was beginning to set and Marko told us he had to be headed home.

"Hey, I thought we were gonna go to the mall and get you some decent clothes." I said as Marko started out of the store.

"Yeah, but the sun is going down and there's no way I'm going anywhere around this city at night. I don't have a death wish." Marko waved to us with a smile. "It was good to meet you, David. Catch you later, Tawny."

I watched Marko walk off before I turned to Tawny. "What is it with people and night time around here? Some people fear it, others thrive in it."

"In case you haven't learned by now, David, bad things happen at night around here." Tawny chewed the inside of her cheek nervously as she glanced outside. "As a matter of fact, I want to be headed home now."

"Oh, come on. I know you're not afraid of the dark." I said as I followed Tawny out of the store, waving goodbye to Maria.

"No, I'm not afraid of the dark. Just the creeps that lurk in it." Tawny slowed her pace and waited for me to catch up. "Take me home, David. Please."

"Alright, I will." I let out a small sigh, slightly disappointed that I was going home already. I was actually having fun and I'd made a new friend. The night was young and it was time to party but Tawny clearly had other ideas. Not that I could blame her, I guess. I mean, Zach _was_ looking for her.

We didn't get far though before Marcy pulled up in her little black Mercedes and rolled down the window to shout to us. "Tawny, David!"

"Mom!" Tawny whirled around at the sound of her mom's voice and smiled in relief. "Thank goodness! I'm so tired, I don't think I could've walked another step." She rushed over to her mother's car and climbed into the front seat.

"What about you, David?" Marcy asked as she leaned across Tawny to look at me, her disapproving nature gone now that she was so head over heels for Max. "Would you like a ride?"

"No thanks, Miss B." I said with a smile as I shoved my hands in my pockets. "The weather is still nice, I think I'll walk."

"Alright, sweet heart." Marcy replied with a kind smile. "You be sure to call us and let us know you made it home safe, alright?"

"Sure thing, Miss B." I reached into the car and ruffled Tawny's hair once for good measure. "Catch you later, kiddo."

"Bye, David." Tawny mumbled as Marcy pulled away from the curb and started back toward the main surface streets. I watched them drive off as the sun began to set lower and lower into the sky.

I don't know how different things would've been if I had let Marcy give me a ride to my bike. Maybe things would've been drastically different or maybe things wouldn't have changed at all. I can't say for sure either way. All I know is that fate had it in for me that night… and fate is a son of a bitch.


	10. Some Ridiculous Shit

Things certainly start to pick up in this chapter. David isn't so blissfully unaware of what's going on in Santa Carla anymore and a little certain someone makes a return to help clarify some things for him.

All in all, I really love this chapter. I hope you enjoy it too!

* * *

By the time I reached my bike, the sun had completely set behind the waves and the patrons of the night were out in full force. The parking lot was now full and that meant that so was the boardwalk. I thought about where I wanted to go, my money just burning a hole in my pocket. I considered going to the mall. There were always hot chicks there no matter what time of day it was but as Tawny had once told me, only creeps go anywhere in the city alone and I'd already acquired a closet full of clothes anyway so that seemed out of the question.

I didn't have much longer to think, though. The sound of motorbikes came up behind me and I turned to look, my heart dropping to my stomach. Honestly, I knew who it was before I even turned around.

"Hey there, Davey." Paul said with a crooked smile.

I did my best to appear calm and cool but I'll admit, I was a little freaked out. Paul and Dwayne weren't such a big deal to me but I knew Zach could easily overpower me. He'd already done it once. Oh, and not to mention, he'd killed somebody. Yeah, that's always a little terrifying. "What do you want, boys?"

"Where's Tawny?" Paul asked as he looked me over.

"She went to the mall with some friends." I replied, not going to tell them in any way where Tawny actually was. All I could think about at that point was getting to a pay phone and calling Tawny to tell her to get to Max's place as quick as she could, but I never got that chance.

Zach drew closer to me, blocking my exit with his bike. He turned off his engine and stepped off his bike and over to me with a grin. "Don't lie to me, David. Tawny and Marcy are at home… probably discussing the events of their day. I wonder what Tawny will say about the day she spent with you."

"How do you know about Marcy?" I asked as I narrowed my eyes at Zach. Knowing Tawny lived with her mother was one thing. Anybody could get that information. Knowing her mother's name though… that struck me as odd.

"There's a lot I know, David. And a lot that you don't." Zach took a step back from me and smirked. "Would you like to be enlightened? Because I'm sure _Tawny_ would."

"You stay the hell away from her." I said with a low growl, my anger building at Zach's threatening tone.

"Well, one of you needs to hear it. It can be you or her. I'll let you choose." Zach replied as he climbed back onto his bike.

"Me. I'll listen to your bullshit. You just leave Tawny alone." I said with a scowl, much to Dwayne and Paul's amusement.

Zach only smiled at me. "Then follow us… Hudson's Bluff. You know it?"

"I know of it." I replied. It was a lie. I'd never heard of it.

Zach laughed and shook his head at me before starting his motorbike and revving the engine. "Just follow us."

I started my bike and pulled out of my parking spot, hurrying to follow Zach, Dwayne and Paul as they rocketed out of the parking lot and onto the sand. I followed them along the beach, actually finding it fairly easy to keep up with them considering my bike was newer and faster than theirs.

They led me under the pier and into a wooded area and I realized I had never been that far south in Santa Carla before that night. As we continued on, the trees became sparser until there were no longer any trees and I seemed to be going uphill. It was too dark to see and the clouds were beginning to cover the moon which made visibility even worse.

Thankfully we came to a stop shortly after the darkness began to creep in. Zach and the others shut off their bikes and climbed off, motioning for me to follow.

I was hesitant. I had no idea where they were taking me and considering what I knew about Zach, I wasn't exactly eager to jump off my bike and follow him to the edge of a cliff. "Are you gonna try to kill me?" I asked stupidly.

Zach chuckled and stepped toward me, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're more of an asset to me alive than you would be dead, David. Just come with us and I'll explain everything."

I stared at him a moment, but he only turned away from me and started down a set of stairs that were at the cliff side. I turned off my bike, deciding against my better judgment to follow them. I made my way down the stairs, taking note of how steep they were. One little slip and I would be flying all the way down.

When we reached the bottom of the stairs, they led me into a huge cavern with a warning sign on the outside that said it was dangerous. Of course, I could have guessed as much on my own.

When I was inside, however, what I saw took my breath away. I saw what looked like the remnants of what was at one time a really nice building but it was decorated a bit more modern now, with posters and other random crap. "What is this place?"

"It used to be a hotel." Zach said as he pulled out a cigarette from a pack in his jacket pocket and placed it in his mouth. "You ever hear about the 1906 earthquake?"

"Of course I have. Everybody in California has heard of it. It destroyed a lot of property. They felt it all the way in Los Angeles." I said with a scoff, slightly irritated that Zach was talking to me like I was stupid.

"Well it sank this hotel into the ground and everyone abandoned it. We took it over because why the hell not?" Zach lit his cigarette with a match and took a long drag before handing it over to me.

"No thanks, man. I don't smoke." I said, snubbing my nose at the smoldering cigarette.

"Aw, did you hear that, guys?" Zach said in a snarky tone as he looked over his shoulder at Dwayne and Paul. "Princess doesn't smoke." He returned his eyes to me and smirked as he placed the cigarette back in his mouth. "Trust me, David. After I unload on you, you'll be grateful for a smoke."

"Why did you bring me here, Zach?" I asked irritably. I was beginning to grow impatient with his condescending attitude and I was also starting to think that maybe he had just brought me there to kill me after all.

"I prefer to be called Zachary by people who aren't my friends." Zach replied, blowing a steady stream of smoke in my face.

"Zachary, whatever. Just tell me why you brought me here!" I said, waving away the smoke as it flooded my face.

Zach took another long drag from his cigarette and exhaled it slowly. He took a seat on what appeared to be an old water fountain and looked up at me. "That's a nice bike you've got. Practically brand new; super-fast. The best on the market as far as motorbikes go."

"Is there a point you're trying to make, asshole?" I said as my impatience grew to the point that I thought I might just rage punch him.

"Didn't it occur to you to ask why Max would spend top dollar on a bike like that for some kid he just met?" Zach replied, his eyes set on me in dead seriousness.

"How did you know about Max?" I asked with a furrowed brow, my irritation fleeing, but Zach only snickered.

"Let me guess… you were a good boy. You did exactly as he asked and he is _so_ very proud." Zach removed his cigarette from his mouth and crushed it out on the ground. "Let me tell you a little something about Max, David. Max is a master manipulator. He takes unsuspecting kids like you and me under his wing and treats us like royalty. But as soon as we don't do as he says or things don't go the way he expected, he casts us aside like trash."

"What do you mean?" I looked at Zach in confusion before turning my eyes to Dwayne and Paul. They looked equally as serious as Zach did.

"Tawny's not the first, you know." Zach replied with a smirk and it became obvious that he knew bringing up Tawny's name was guaranteed to anger me. "Long before her it was Elizabeth, John, Mary, Jeanine, Richard and more recently Cody, Sarah… and Clover."

"Clover?" I scowled at the name. I remembered it. It was the name of June's little sister, though I couldn't figure out what she had to do with Max or Tawny. "Look, why don't you start saying something that makes sense?"

"You're a pawn, David. A pretty little pawn used to befriend and attract the weaker of mind while Max moves in to take what he really wants." Zach stared at me quietly for a moment but I only returned his stare. I still didn't understand what he was trying to tell me. "He wants a Matriarch and he's willing to get one regardless of the cost. It almost never ends well for his intended."

"You're not making any sense." I said with a sigh as I turned away from Zach. "Look, man… I'm out of here."

"It's not too late for you and Tawny. There's still time to get out and get away from Max." Zach said as he followed me a few steps.

I turned back to face him and I was pretty furious at that point. I mean, I felt a sense of loyalty to Max at the time. He'd given me everything. I didn't like hearing him badmouthed and I certainly didn't like Zach throwing Tawny into the mix. "Look, whatever your problem is with Max, settle it yourself. Just leave me and Tawny out of it."

"He's a vampire, David." Zach said so straight faced I was almost convinced he had practiced saying it so much that he wouldn't laugh when he finally told me.

I of course couldn't help but laugh. "Give me a freaking break. A vampire? What are we? Elementary school kids?"

"Laugh all you want." Zach replied, a little less than pleased with my reaction. "If you won't do anything about it, I'll go to Tawny."

"Tawny won't listen." I said with a smile and a shrug as I started walking backwards toward the exit.

"I'll _make_ her listen. One way or the other." Zach said and there was a hint of venom in his voice that struck a chord in me.

I didn't bother to look back at him as I made my way back up the stairs but I made certain that he and the other two heard my words clearly. "You dare lay a finger on Tawny and I'll tear each one of you to shreds. She doesn't need to deal with your shit."

I expected to hear footsteps following me up the stairs but I didn't. I didn't even hear so much as a rebuttal from Zach. I climbed on my bike, far more irritated in that moment than I had been during the entire conversation. I didn't like the thought of him threatening my friend in any way.

I felt like driving to Tawny's house and bringing her and Marcy back home with me but I knew I couldn't do that without explaining why. I knew Max would be at the video store and so I couldn't rush home and tell him what had happened either.

It left me with one option, and I couldn't believe it was an action I was going to take, but I didn't feel I had much else open to me at the time.

I drove my motorbike to the old information center and turned off the engine. I climbed off my bike and looked around. There wasn't a soul on the street and it seemed that everyone was inside for the night. I cupped my hands over my mouth and shouted as loud as I could. "June! June, where the hell are you? I know you live around here!"

"I'm up here, David. There's no need to shout." June said in a calm voice from behind and above me.

I whirled around and looked up to see June standing on the fire escape of the building I had parked next to. I looked at her, slightly relieved. "Can I come up? I have to ask you something crazy."

"The building is locked up for the night but you can climb the fire escape." June replied as she stared down at me.

I was slightly annoyed by the inconvenience but I didn't have any other option so I jumped up and grabbed ahold of the ladder, climbing my way up as quickly as I could. I made my way up the stairs until I was on the second floor fire escape standing only a few short feet away from June. "I have some questions, June."

"I hopefully have the answers." She replied with a warm smile. "But firstly, how are you? I haven't seen you since that night on the beach."

"I've been alright." I answered, not really caring to talk about myself at the moment. "Listen, June… do you or Clover know anybody by the name of Zach or Zachary?"

The smile on June's face fell and she glanced at her apartment window. "Maybe we ought to go inside and talk about this." She motioned for me to follow her as she climbed through the window. Once we were both inside, she gestured for me to sit on her couch as she took a seat. "You've had a run in with Zachary, I assume?"

I nodded slowly and looked at June in questioning. "So, you know him."

"Zachary is a dangerous man. Don't let his childish attitude fool you. He's smarter and more cunning than both you and I." June looked sadly at the floor and let out a small sigh. "He's the reason I sent Clover away. She's young and I don't like the idea of her being off in a city where I can't protect her, but even that is better than her being here with Zachary and the others."

"What does he want?" I asked calmly, hoping June could give me the answers I needed.

"Most recently? His goal is to bring an end to the one who made him, and while it seems like something admirable, it's only because he wishes to succeed him." June replied as she looked at me with concern. "And to be honest, I don't know which of the two is worse."

"The one who made him?" I asked, now finding June's words as confusing as Zach's had been. "Wait, you mean like his father or something?"

"I suppose father would be an appropriate term." June said softly. "Prior to that though, they were both looking for a Matriarch. The most recent conquest that I know of was a woman named Marcy and Zachary was charged with wooing her daughter-"

"Tawny." I said, a feeling of sickness welling up inside me. "You wouldn't happen to know the name of his father?"

"Max… he's an awful man." June said quietly. "Before Marcy and Tawny, their focus was on Clover and me. I was the intended Matriarch, and to get to me, Zachary tried to get to Clover."

"Why is Max looking for a Matriarch?" I asked, honestly not sure what the word even meant.

"I'm not sure." June said with a shrug. "Initially I think he wanted a motherly figure for his family. Someone to look after them all and care for them as a mother would. Though now I think he's more desperate to find someone who will keep his boys in line. They've all moved away from the idea of a family unit and I don't think he can control them anymore. I suppose that it could be he's been lonely all these centuries, but I don't think-"

"Centuries!?" I shouted as I jumped to my feet. "What do you mean?"

"Max is a vampire, David." June replied calmly as she blinked up at me. "Surely if you know Zachary, you knew that."

"V-vampires aren't real!" I managed to stammer out. "Look, are you and Zach in cahoots to make me seem like a crazy person?"

"I would never willingly involve myself with Zachary." June sighed and stood slowly. "Follow me, David. I want to show you something."

I watched as June walked past me and into her kitchen. I followed after her, curious as to what she was going to show me. I watched her open the freezer door on her refrigerator and pull out a tiny cardboard box. She sat it on the counter and motioned for me to view it. I stepped hesitantly closer and peered into the box but all I saw was a slew of zip lock bags filled with something deep red in color. "What is it? Frozen spaghetti sauce?"

"It's blood, David. Animal's blood to be precise." June replied without batting an eye. "It's for me, so I can sustain myself without being too weak. It also helps stave off the urges."

"Are you out of your goddamned mind!?" I shouted as I took a step back from June. "Are you trying to tell me you're a vampire too?"

"Only half." June said as she turned her eyes to the ground, a look of sadness coming over her face. "You don't become a full vampire until you make your first kill. At least, that's what Zachary told me when he turned me. I had Clover bleed a lot of animals so that I could sustain myself long after she left. I don't know if killing an animal would turn me into a full vampire like killing a human would. I mean, humans are merely animals if you think about it. I'm hoping that I can handle everything before I run out of blood. I don't want to have to find out."

"Okay, wait. Let's say I believed all this vampire nonsense." I said as I held my head in my hand, feeling a headache coming on from the absurdity of it all. "Why would Zach turn you into a vampire? What good would that do him?"

"It's incentive." June replied. "The only way to turn a half vampire back to normal is to kill the head vampire. Even though Zachary was the one who turned me, the leader is still Max. If Max is killed, I can return to normal."

"So he's trying to get Max killed without getting his hands dirty." I said, pieces of the puzzle beginning to fit together in my mind. There was only one problem though… "Wait, wait, wait! Vampires? I mean, really? What kind of ridiculous shit is that? You really expect me to believe-"

"Think about it, David. I know it seems unlikely, but just think about it. More people go missing in Santa Carla in a day than in one month around the rest of the world combined. Where are those people disappearing to, and why?" June said as she replaced her box of blood in the freezer.

"I don't know. Aliens? Human slave trafficking? Legitimate murders?" I said as I leaned against her counter. "But vampires?"

"There are a lot of unexplainable things in the world, David. You take a look around and it will start to make sense." June said with a soft sigh, leaning against the wall opposite of me.

"So you're trying to tell me I've been living with this guy for a month now and all this time, he's been a vampire?" I asked with a scoff. "Wouldn't I have seen the signs?"

"You're living with Max?" June said as she bolted across the kitchen at inhuman speed and grabbed me by my arms. "David, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking he offered me a place to live and a job after I followed the stupid advice of _your_ friend and went to steal a movie from him." I pushed June's hands off of me but then a realization hit me. "You knew! You knew he's a vampire and you let me go to his store anyway!"

"It wasn't as though you would've believed me if I told you the truth, David. I tried to stop you, but you wouldn't listen." June said with a sigh. "The best I can do now is offer you my advice. Leave Max's house. Break all ties with him and Zachary and go home while you still can. It's too late for me, David. It doesn't have to be too late for you."

"I can't just leave." I said with a growl as I started toward June's fire escape. "I gave Marcy and Tawny to him on a silver platter just like he wanted."

"So what are you going to do?" June asked as she followed me to the window, peering out at me as I climbed outside.

"I'm going to fix it, June. That's all I can do."


	11. Okay, Wait, What?

Part three of our five day chapter feast is here!

Well, Zach and June have dumped some pretty heavy stuff on our dear David. Poor kid. Of course, there's one very important person he has to consult with about this information…

* * *

I sat on the couch trying to calm my nerves. I wished I'd taken Zach's advice on the cigarette. Maybe it would've calmed me. I didn't quite know what I was going to do or how I was going to approach the situation.

I mean, was I really about to accuse Max of being a vampire? It seemed ridiculous, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Max slept all day every day. He never once woke up before the sun went down. There were certain mannerisms about him that seemed far before our time. Not to mention how rich he was. Accumulating that much money over centuries would be very simple. Then there was the little rule about not opening the freezer.

I wondered if there was blood in there. June had blood in her freezer and even though she had hers so that she wouldn't have to feed on humans, there was no reason to suggest that Max wouldn't keep some in case of an emergency, regardless of whether he fed on humans or not.

I stood quickly and made my way to the kitchen. I stood in front of the refrigerator, hand trembling as I reached for the handle. I pulled the door open slowly and peered inside. To my relief, I saw boxes upon boxes of frozen dinners. I let out a relieved sigh and leaned my head against the freezer door.

I was ready to close the door and just call it a night when something caught my eye. Every single one of the frozen dinner boxes was open. I didn't know why they would be open. That would only cause them to get freezer burned. I reached in slowly and pulled out one of the boxes. I slid my hand into the box and grabbed for one of those familiar black plastic trays but all my fingers met with was the tip of a zip lock bag. I grabbed the bag and tugged at it slowly until I could get a good look at it.

It looked exactly like June's, only bigger. Full of more blood.

I shoved it back into the box and threw the box in the freezer, slamming the door shut. I couldn't believe what was happening. I stepped out of the kitchen and back into the living room, my brain trying to think of how I was going to approach the issue with Max.

I tried to think about what I knew about vampires. I knew that garlic, crucifixes and holy water supposedly kept them at bay. I knew that driving a wooden stake through their heart was an efficient way to kill them, along with sunlight. I also knew they slept in coffins.

That was when it dawned upon me to check and see if Max had a coffin. If there was a coffin in his room, I could no longer question that he was a vampire. I would simply have to take action.

I crept slowly down the long hall that led to Max's bedroom. My hands were shaking and I was more nervous than I had ever been in my life. That hall seemed to go on forever as I made my way toward the door I knew led to Max's room. When I finally reached it, I raised my hand to the doorknob and began to turn it slowly but I never got the door fully open.

Max slammed his hand down on my shoulder and spun me around, scaring the shit out of me. "Are you looking for me, David?"

"Max!" My breath caught in my throat as I tried of think of something else to say to him. I needed a good explanation as to why I was trying to enter his room when I had no business being in there. My brain failed me.

"You look affright, David." Max said as he looked down at me with feigned concern. "Is everything alright? Are Tawny and Marcy okay?"

Again, my voice failed me and I was almost too paralyzed with fear to move. That was when Max grabbed me by the collar of my jacket and dragged me into the living room, forcing me to sit on the couch.

Max looked at me sternly and crossed his arms. "Alright, young man. Tell me what's going on. Have you done something you weren't supposed to?"

I looked up at Max sheepishly, feeling a bit guilty despite that I hadn't really done anything other than find out the truth about him and yet I was the one getting lectured. I inhaled sharply and decided that I needed to just get everything out in the open. I could handle things how they came after that. "Are you a vampire, Max?"

Max blinked down at me, his stern expression softening. He let out a slow sigh and uncrossed is arms. "I take it you've had a run in with Zachary."

"That doesn't answer my question." I muttered.

"Has Zachary been harassing you and Tawny? I truly hope he hasn't been bothering you. That boy has been nothing but a nuisance lately." Max said as he removed his glasses and began to clean them on his shirt.

"Are you a vampire?" I repeated the question as I stared up at Max. I watched him replace the glasses on his face but he didn't seem amused by the question at all. "Max-"

"I was hoping to keep this from you until I was certain Marcy was the one. I suppose I can't do that now." Max took a seat on the couch with enough distance between us for me to feel comfortable and continued to speak. "I was a young man like you once, and like you, I had people I cared for deeply. A family. Unfortunately, that didn't last long. I watched as everyone I cared for was hurt or killed by the war going on at the time and I knew there was nothing I could do about it. But then a woman named Constance approached me and offered me something I never thought possible before… a family that could never die."

"Vampires." I said, hoping Max would just come out and say the word. But he didn't.

"Madam Constance was a wonderful Matriarch. She was someone we loved dearly. She provided us with a family and eternal life but unfortunately, she met with a gruesome end a short seventy years after we'd met…" Max said, trailing off almost sadly. "My brothers and sisters and I were left without someone to guide us. We had no idea how to live in the world without a guiding hand. But I soon realized that I could become that guiding hand to others. I could make my own family. I would be the Patriarch and I would build a family of my own. We would live together forever. That was when I began my search for people I would want in my forever family. A little over a century ago, I found Zachary wandering the streets of Boston. He was a bright young man with a lot of street smarts. I knew I could use a boy like that in my family."

"But he's betrayed you." I replied. "He's warned me away from you and he wants me to tell Tawny."

"Zachary always had a strong will. I think what bothered him the most was that unless I was dead, he could never become the Patriarch of his own family. You see, David, it doesn't matter who turns you. As long as the head of the family is still alive, they will always be the head. I will always be the head of this family and that is a thought that Zachary just couldn't bear. He wants to be the head and he'll do anything to thwart me. He knows that once I find a Matriarch, my family will be practically unstoppable. That's likely why he's trying to turn you against me."

"But why me? I mean, other than the fact that I'm helping you?" I asked with a shrug.

"Well, because I want you to be a part of my family. I think Zachary is a bit jealous and I think he also knows what an asset you are to me. He's trying to weaken me and make me vulnerable by destroying my family before I can build it."

"Wait, you mean you want _me_ to be a vampire?" I asked, scooting away from Max slowly.

"And Marcy and Tawny as well." Max added with a smile. "I know that we could be a tightknit family. We would be strong and Marcy would be an excellent mother figure to Zachary and the others. Having a little sister to look after would give Zachary a sense of purpose, something I believe he is lacking currently and most likely the reason he's begun to lash out at me. You and Tawny would be perfect siblings for him. I know he lost most of his family in the great fire that destroyed a huge part of Boston. Perhaps having you two would help him be more agreeable."

"But I don't want to be a vampire." I said as I looked at Max in concern. "I mean, I like the sunlight and being human!"

"Do you like dying, David? Because that is what being human is all about. You're born, you live for a little while and then you die. It's really a quite tragic existence. You don't want to die. Nobody wants to die and nobody wants to see their loved ones die. Most people don't know there's a solution for it." Max replied, continuing to smile at me as though there was nothing odd about the conversation at all. "Think about it, David. You can grow old and watch all your loved ones die. You can watch Marcy die. You can watch Tawny die. You can watch yourself die. _Or_ you can become immortal and live with them forever. You can see the world and everything in it and know that you will never run out of time to see it all. You could be unstoppable."

I stared at Max quietly a moment, thinking over his every word. I could care less about seeing the whole world and being unstoppable meant nothing to me but when I thought about watching those I cared about suffering and dying, something inside me sank. I never wanted to watch anybody die and I knew I really didn't want to die either. Still, I wasn't completely sold on the idea. "But… I would be giving up so much."

"You would also be gaining a great deal of things; a family, for one thing. A family that would never turn its back on you. A family that will never die. You'll never have to worry about a single thing because we'll take care of each other." Max shrugged and continued to smile at me. "The choice is up to you. I won't force you, David."

"I'll think about it." I muttered as I stood slowly. "But I'm starting to get tired. I think it would be best if I just went to sleep right now."

"Sleep well, David. Remember to be up in time for work tomorrow." Max said as he watched me make my way to my room.

"Yeah. Sure thing." I mumbled as I stepped into my room and closed the door behind me.

I'm not going to lie, I was a little more than freaked out. I mean, I had just learned that I was living with a vampire. Not only that, he wanted to turn _me_ into a vampire! It's not exactly a comforting thought when you're trying to let yourself slip into slumber.

I'm not sure if Max heard me sliding my dresser up against my bedroom door or not but I didn't care at the time. There was no way I was just going to act like there wasn't a vampire in that house. Once I felt my room was secure, I laid on my bed and tried hard to calm myself.

I laid there in the darkness just thinking that Max would come smashing through my door at any moment and try to feed on me but he never did. Dawn came before I was able to shut my eyes and allow myself to go to sleep but it was a restless slumber at best.


	12. Do You Want the Truth or-

Part four of our five day feast. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Please enjoy!

* * *

I woke to the sound of my dresser sliding slowly across the wooden floor in my room. At first I thought little of it but when I remembered the previous night, I bolted from bed and rushed to my window, opening my blinds quickly. When I looked toward the door, I was relieved to see Tawny's head poking into my room. "M-mornin'…" I stammered out as I reached up to rub my eyes free of sleep.

"More like afternoon." Tawny muttered as she scooted my dresser more and weaseled her way into my room. "It's almost one o'clock. You have to be at work in an hour and… Jesus Christ!" She stopped mid-sentence to drop to her knees and examine the floor where the movement of my dresser had left deep marks in the wood. "Did I do that!? Oh man, Max is gonna be pissed!"

"Something tells me Max won't care." I muttered quickly. "He really likes you and your mom. Besides, I was probably the one that did it anyway when I scooted my dresser."

"Yeah, about that." Tawny said as she glanced at my door, standing fully upright once more. "Why did you barricade your door shut? You got something to hide from Max?"

Yeah, my neck. But I couldn't tell her that, so I lied. "I uh, I had a girl here last night. I didn't want Max to come in and interrupt."

"Oh." Tawny's lips narrowed in disapproval and an annoyed look came over her face. "Well anyway, you'd better get ready for work. I'll be in the garage."

I watched Tawny walk out of my room before I let out a long sigh. I slid my dresser back into its rightful place, realizing that if Tawny could force her way into my room, Max would have no problem and my dresser didn't benefit me at all. I opened one of the drawers and grabbed a shirt out before making my way to the bathroom. I rushed through a shower and dressed in the shirt and the same pants I had worn the day before. I then rushed through the house, deciding I really didn't want to be there any longer than I had to.

I entered the garage and looked down at Tawny who was sitting with the pups like usual. I held out my hand to help her up but she just ignored me. "Come on. I'm gonna be late for work. Let's go."

"I think I'll stay here today." Tawny replied as she continued to pet the pups and keep her eyes anywhere but on me.

"What? But you never stay. You said it makes you uncomfortable to be in a house with Max alone." I said as I reached down to pull Tawny up.

"Look, I feel like staying today." Tawny replied with a grumble. "Just leave before you're late."

"No!" I said a little too loudly and this caused Tawny to turn and look at me. "You can't stay. Max is…" I trailed off, not knowing if I should tell Tawny the truth about Max. It wasn't as though she would believe me and I honestly still hadn't decided if I liked his idea of all of us being a family or not. So, I lied again. "Max is getting one of the bedrooms renovated and that means all kinds of workers are going to be in and out of the house all day. I don't trust those guys. I don't want one of them to hurt you."

"You've never cared about my safety before, David." Tawny said, scoffing as she turned her attention back to the pups with a scowl.

"That's not true." I mumbled a bit under my breath. I reached down once again and this time scooped Tawny up from under her arms and pulled her into a standing position. I spun her around so that she would face me and I looked down at her seriously. "Listen, I don't want you here alone. You're leaving with me right now so say goodbye to the pups and let's go."

Tawny glared at me for a moment before crossing her arms with a huff. "Fine. Let's just go. But I'm not going to work with you. I want you to take me home."

"I don't have time." I protested. "I'm gonna be late."

"Not my problem. Maybe you should've gone to bed at a decent hour instead of messing around with some bimbo. Maybe then you would've woke up on time!" Tawny replied haughtily as she walked over to the garage door and pushed it open.

I sighed, instantly regretting the lie I'd told her. I probably could've thought of something better but now I had to deal with her attitude and ridicule. I decided against saying anything more to her and just got my bike out of the garage. Once the garage door was closed and Tawny and I were both secure on the bike, I rocketed down the driveway and hurried to drop her off at her house as quickly as I could.

She didn't say a word to me as she made her way into the house without so much as a backwards glance.

I grumbled under my breath at her attitude but I didn't have time to stew on it. I revved my engine and took off down the street, anxious to get to work on time.

After I parked my bike, I rushed into the video store and over to the computer where Maria was looking me up and down.

"You're late." She muttered with a cocked eyebrow.

"It's a long story. Tawny was being a drama queen." I replied as I quickly clocked on and then grabbed up the huge box of returns to place back on the shelves.

"Mmm hmm… she just needs an ice pack." Maria said with a smile.

"For what?" I asked as I started in the Horror section and began replacing the most popular rentals back in their spots.

"For that fever you're giving her, boy." Maria laughed and stepped over to the computer, preparing to make the reminder calls for all the movies that hadn't been returned on time. "You know she only gets so mad at you because she likes you so much."

"Tawny?" I said as I looked at Maria like she was a crazy person. "No way! We're just friends. You know that."

"Does _she_ know that?" Maria said, laughing again. "Look, she's a good kid. I don't want to see her hurt, that's all. Max really likes her and her mom."

"Hey, Maria…" I said quickly, realizing I could probe her for information on Max. "You've worked for Max for a while, right?"

"It'll be two years in December." Maria replied as she continued to sift through the computer for accounts that were overdue on their rentals. "And I was damn lucky to have met him. I was just like you. A kid on the streets with nowhere to go and nothing to my name. I was a real piece of work. I guess Max took pity on me. He gave me a job and a place to stay for a little while until I could get somewhere of my own. I owe him a lot."

"Have you ever met his kids?" I asked curiously as I continued to restock the movies.

"Zach, Dwayne and Paul? Yeah, I've met them. They used to come in here all the time. Zach had a real thing for Tawny but her mom didn't like it one bit. He's a good looking kid too. Long blonde hair, pretty green eyes." Maria replied with a wide smile.

"Was he weird at all? I mean, like, creepy weird?" I asked.

"Everybody in this town is weird, David." Maria said with a shrug. "I mean, he bugged Tawny for a while but Max kicked him out of here. I think that's the main reason they're not on speaking terms anymore."

Not exactly, but I wasn't about to tell Maria why the two vampires were really no longer speaking. "What about the other two?"

"Dwayne and Paul? They're alright guys. Paul was always trying to get me to go on a date with him but I had to turn him down. I can't be dating the boss' kid." Maria replied.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess that would be bad." I muttered. It was clear I was not going to be getting any information from Maria. What little she knew about the four of them wasn't helpful to me at all. I watched as she picked up the phone and began to make calls to the people who hadn't returned their movies on time and I went back to organizing the returns in their rightful places.

After about an hour into my shift, Marko came into the store with a wide smile and a wave. I greeted him with a grin and noticed right away that he wasn't dressed so much like a dweeb. He wore a pair of acid wash jeans, a plain shirt and a brown leather jacket. He was also without glasses and his curly hair was now blond and gelled into a more attractive fashion. "Well, well…" I said with a chuckle. "I barely recognized you. What did you do? Grow a pair and tell your mom you wanted decent clothes?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Marko said with a smile. "She wasn't too happy about it at first, but when she saw how much cheaper the clothes were, she kinda let up a little bit."

"That's awesome." I said with a small laugh. "You look like a normal person now."

"Thanks. Hey, is Tawny around right now?" Marko asked as he glanced around the shop.

"Nah, just me and my manager and she's on break." I replied with a shrug. "Why, what's up?"

"Well, I was just thinking about asking her out on a date. Nothing special, just maybe dinner or a movie." Marko looked at me curiously. "You know her pretty well. You think she'll go for that?"

"Honestly, no." I replied with a chuckle. "But you should ask her anyway. She's been a stick in the mud lately. It could do her some good to go out and have fun with somebody."

"If you don't think she'll go for it, I'm not gonna bother her." Marko said with a shrug. "She's always been nice to me but I can tell I bug her."

"I think everything bugs that girl." I said, trying not to laugh at the statement. "Look, you should just ask her out anyway. What's the worst that could happen? She'll say no?"

"Yeah, maybe." Marko shrugged again and started toward the movies. "Did you get anything new yet?"

"We got the new Star Wars movie. A couple Romance movies. Nothing really interesting." I leaned against the counter and watched Marko browse through the movies, an idea beginning to turn over in my head. I still didn't know what to do about Max, but at the very least, I knew I had to keep Marcy and Tawny away from him until I figured out what to do. There was no way Tawny would go out with Marko willingly but that was exactly what I needed for her to do. But then I got a brilliant idea… "Hey Marko, are you doing anything tonight?"

Marko looked to me and shook his head. "Not really, no. Why?"

"Well, Tawny's mad at me so she won't hang out with me tonight but I still want to go out and do stuff. Like maybe we could go get some sushi or something. But I don't know anywhere to get any." I said, trying my best to seem desperate for a friend.

"There's a place on Main Street. They have really good California rolls." Marko replied with a smile. "You wanna go?"

"Sure. That sounds perfect. Meet me there at eight." I said, fighting the devious smile that was working its way onto my face.

I talked to Marko for a little while longer and as soon as he left, I went to the phone and dialed Tawny's number. It rang a couple times before she finally picked up. When she heard my voice, she hung up so I called right back.

"Don't hang up." I said quickly as I heard Tawny pick up the phone but refuse to say hello. I listened to hear if she would hang up the phone but there was no click. Only silence. I let out a heavy sigh and leaned against the counter as I talked to her. "Look, kiddo… I don't know what's been going on with you these past couple days but it needs to stop. We're friends and you can't keep getting pissed at me for little shit. Life is too short for that." I paused and allowed for her to say something, but there was only silence so I continued. "I know you're all stressed about the Zach thing but I've got it under control. You just need to relax and try to enjoy yourself. Have your mom drop you off at the sushi place on Main Street at eight o'clock tonight. I'll meet you there."

There was silence again before I heard Tawny mutter a quick "Okay," and then hang up the phone. I smiled in satisfaction and hung up my end of the line. Sure, she was going to be pissed about this too but it didn't matter. Her safety was more important than dealing with her attitude and she would eventually forgive me. At least, I hoped.


	13. Making Bad Decisions

Well, here is the last chapter of your five day feast, guys. I hope you enjoyed it! Regular weekly updates will resume on Sunday.

Thanks to those who've been reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it! I love to get feedback. :)

Enjoy!

* * *

I was off of work before the sun set and it left me just enough time. Just enough time to get over to Zach's little hideaway and confront him about just what he wanted from me. I hoped that it would give me a better idea of how to handle the situation with Max.

I still hadn't figured out what I was going to do about Max. I mean, I couldn't really be mad at the guy. All he wanted was what everyone wanted; the American Dream. A family, a nice house and a happy life. Nobody could really ask for much more than that. Hell, even _I_ wanted that and I wasn't even old enough to be thinking about getting married and starting a family yet. I couldn't blame Max for wanting what every person on the earth had a right to have.

But then there was the vampire aspect of it. It was something that was forever.

I mean, when I really stopped to think about it, the idea was pretty cool despite the drawbacks. Living forever until you wanted to die seemed like something pretty awesome. And truthfully, if June could survive off animal blood, why couldn't I? Or better yet, I could feed off the scum of the earth. Criminals, murderers, rapists. No good person had to die by _my_ hand.

And then there was Tawny. She was my best friend. My only friend really, outside of Marko, but I was just getting to know him. She would live forever too. I would never have to worry about her getting hurt or dying. I would never have to attend her funeral. She would be my friend forever.

But what if she didn't want that? What if the idea of being a vampire was something unpleasant to her and Marcy? What then? Would they walk away from Max? Would I walk away from Max too? Would he let me?

I had way too many questions to answer by myself so I had little other choice than to go to Zach. He'd known Max longer than anybody else had. They'd spent over a century together as father and son. If anybody knew how Max would react, it would be Zach.

I climbed onto my bike and sped off in the direction of Hudson's Bluff. I found it faster to reach by taking the road rather than going the route Zach and the others had taken me the night before. I arrived just as the sun was beginning to sink behind the sea. I shut off my bike and climbed off, starting down the stairs as quickly as I could.

It was dark but there was still a bit of light pouring in from the holes in the ceiling of the cavern. I cupped my hands over my mouth and shouted loudly. "Zachary! Come out, we need to talk!" I listened quietly for a response but there wasn't one. Only the sound of the waves crashing against the side of the cliff. I shouted again but still received no response. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe Zach didn't stay there all the time. Maybe he had a house of his own and the cave was just a place he liked to hang out.

I sighed heavily, deciding it had all been a waste of time. I turned back toward the stairs to exit the cave when I heard a voice behind me.

"You know, it's very rude to come into someone's home uninvited. It's even worse to shout while they're trying to sleep." Zach said as I whirled around to face him.

"Zachary…" I stared at him with wide eyes. He'd caught me by surprise and it kinda scared the shit out of me, not gonna lie.

"You look nervous, David." Zach said with a smirk as he stepped toward me and reached into his jacket pocket to pull out a cigarette. "Have a smoke. Relax."

"I don't smoke." I replied quietly but I remembered regretting my decision to pass on the cigarette last time so I reached out and took the cigarette he offered hesitantly.

Zach chuckled and gave flame to a match, handing it my direction. "So, let me guess why you're here."

"You don't have to guess. You're a vampire. Vampires can read minds." I said as I took the match from his fingers and tried my best to light the cigarette, to no avail.

"Some can, David. And yes, it's a talent that _I_ was lucky enough to have been graced with after my conversion." Zach reached out and took the cigarette from my hand, placing it in his mouth before lighting another match and giving life to the cigarette. He handed it back in my direction and tossed the match into the big red barrel that he stood beside. It set fire to whatever was inside and a warm light began to fill the cavern. "You came here because you're at a loss."

I nodded stiffly and took a small drag off the cigarette. It tasted awful but I tried not to show it on my face. "Look, this thing about Max… I don't get why you two can't just exist separately from each other."

"Because I just don't like him. He lost the Matriarch and the family that created him so now he's trying to build a new one. That's what he told you, right?" Zach stared at me and lit a cigarette of his own, taking a long, slow drag. "Well, that's true but only partially. The great and revered Madam Constance didn't just die by the hand of any mortal. She was murdered by one of her own kind."

"Max…" I said, somehow knowing Zach was going to say it before he even had the chance to. I took another drag from the cigarette, this one less unpleasant than the last. I really needed to calm my nerves.

Zach nodded in response to me. "Max wanted to usurp her. He didn't like the way she operated and so he made an attempt to overthrow her and take her place. The only problem was that he didn't count on his brethren finding out he was the one who had killed Madam Constance. They tried to destroy him but he managed to get away. He quickly became what you would call _blacklisted_ amongst the vampire community. His name was spread far and wide within the community and he couldn't find a single vampire to take him in. In fact, most were ordered to kill him on sight. I guess that's when he decided to start a family of his own. Loyal little sheep that would do whatever he wanted. Someone to die for him."

"How do you know all that?" I asked curiously. "I mean, you weren't exactly around at the time."

"Aside from being able to read his well-guarded thoughts? I've had the pleasure of meeting a handful of his former siblings. Needless to say, they treated me with the same respect they would've treated him, but at least they _told_ me the truth. Max only lies." Zach took another long drag from his cigarette and blew it in my direction. "So now you know, David. What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing." I said quietly. "I mean, what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"You're supposed to help me. Help me bring an end to him. We'll kill him and then Paul, Dwayne and I can be free from him to do whatever the hell we want." Zach replied with irritation in his voice.

"So you'll do exactly the same thing he did while you condemn him for it? Yeah, that makes sense." I said as I turned away from Zach. "You've really cleared things up for me. Thanks."

"Where are you going?" Zach asked as I heard his footsteps trailing after me.

"You're the mind reader, Zachary." I replied, snickering lightly. I took one last drag from the cigarette before tossing it to the ground and grinding it out with my heel. "I'm going home."

"But… you can't honestly be taking his side!" Zach shouted as he continued after me. "What about Tawny and Marcy?"

"What about them?" I said as I turned to look at Zach. "They're perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. When Max finally tells Marcy the truth, she'll make a decision. She'll either want to be a vampire or she won't. The same goes for Tawny. It's her decision to make. Nobody else's."

"So you're going to just let him have them? Just like that?" Zach said as he stepped in front of me and blocked the exit.

"Yeah, Zachary. Just like that." I replied and looked at the man calmly. "Marcy is falling for Max and it isn't for any other reason than his personality. Regardless of what you think about him, she likes him for who his is. And Tawny is starting to like him too."

"Max can't have Tawny." Zach said, his voice almost growling as he said it. "Marcy, fine. But not Tawny. I want her."

"You can't have her." I said with a shrug. "Tawny doesn't trust you. She's afraid of you and she wants nothing to do with you. She doesn't like you."

"No… but she likes _you_." A smile crossed Zach's face and there was a shift in his eyes as he looked at me. It kind of scared the shit out of me but I had to act like it didn't.

"We're friends, jackass. Of course she does." I said, trying to step around Zach but he kept blocking me.

Zach's smile turned to a full on grin and he stepped toward me slowly. "No. It's more than that, and I'm going to use it to my advantage."

I backed away, not sure what Zach had in mind. I knew I didn't stand a chance against him alone. I'd be really screwed if Dwayne and Paul showed up. I managed to maneuver around him and I made a break for the stairs but I didn't run for long. I felt Zach pounce on me and knock me to the ground. My head collided with the stairs and the last thing I felt was Zach's hands gripping my jacket and pulling me up before I lost consciousness and slipped into darkness.


	14. I Never Know What To Say

I'm sure you're going to hate me as I leave you with this cliffhanger for the week. :) Sorry about that.

Hope you enjoy it though!

* * *

I woke up in my bed with a throbbing headache to the sound of someone stomping through the house. I clenched my eyes tightly, the sunlight shining through the blinds causing me nothing but pain. I covered my head up with my blanket and rolled over on my side but when I heard my door burst open, I knew I wouldn't be going back to sleep.

"Wake up, David!" I heard Tawny shout as she tore the blanket off of me and tossed it on the floor.

"I'm awake." I mumbled as I grabbed my pillow and covered my face with it.

Tawny grabbed the pillow from my face before nudging me almost violently. "What the hell do you think you're doing, David?"

"Trying to sleep." I replied, rolling over onto my stomach to bury my face from the light.

Tawny continued to shout, the volume of her voice not helping my headache. "That's not what I mean, asshole! I'm talking about last night!"

_Last night._ I tried to think back to the night before but everything seemed like a giant blur. I remembered being at work and then I remembered leaving. I headed to Hudson's Bluff with the intent to confront Zach and then… "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you setting me up!" Tawny said with a huff. "You told me to meet you at Ohayo at eight but what you failed to tell me was that you also told Marko to meet you at Ohayo at eight and that _you_ wouldn't actually be there at all! You set me up on a stupid date with Marko, you asshole!"

"Was it fun?" I asked stupidly.

"You!" Tawny let out a noise similar to a growl and hit me hard with my pillow. "What does that matter? You lied to me!"

"Well, if it was fun then you can't be as mad." I said, cringing as she raised the pillow to hit me again.

"You're an unbelievable ass!" Tawny brought the pillow down on me again and again until her chest was heaving from the physical exertion. "I can't believe you pulled that crap! I'm so mad at you!"

"You're always mad at me." I replied. "I always say or do something to piss you off. I don't even have to try anymore."

Tawny raised my pillow high above her head again and I cringed, expecting to be hit. She didn't hit me though. Instead she let out a heavy sigh and plopped down on my bed beside me. "Why did you do that to me, David?"

"Marko really likes you." I said with a shrug. "He went and changed his whole appearance and I think it was because he wants you to look at him like he's a regular guy and not just some dweeb."

"That doesn't make it okay." Tawny said as she clutched the pillow against her chest. "That's no excuse for lying to me. I prefer you tell me the truth, even if it's something I don't necessarily want to hear."

"You want the truth?" I asked, glancing at her quickly as she nodded. "The truth is, I needed you somewhere safe. Somewhere Zach couldn't find you after I confronted him."

Tawny gasped loudly and her eyes bulged at me. "David! You did not!"

"I did. I didn't want him bothering you anymore and I had some other things I needed to talk to him about. I didn't want you getting hurt so I set you up with Marko to keep you busy and out of the way." I looked at her and forced a smile. "So basically, I had a good reason."

"What did Zach say?" Tawny asked with concern in her voice. "He didn't try to hurt you, did he?"

I tried to remember just what had occurred. I remembered arriving at the cavern and going inside. I remembered shouting for Zach. I didn't remember anything after that but things must've gone well because I was home, safe and sound in my own bed. "Look, none of that matters. I told you I'd handle the Zach situation and I handled it. He's not going to bother you anymore."

Tawny lurched forward and threw her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. "David, I could kiss you!"

"An apology would suffice. Ooh, and breakfast. I'm starving." I said as I ran a hand over my gurgling stomach. "Eggs and bacon?"

Tawny let out a small laugh and nudged me. "Fine. But only because you stood up for me to Zach, even if it was a really stupid thing to do."

I watched her stand up and exit my room before I made any motion to even sit up. My head was still throbbing and for some reason, I felt like I was starving to death. I ran a hand through my hair, sighing heavily. I didn't know why I felt like complete and utter shit and why I couldn't remember the whole night before.

I noticed that I had an awful taste in mouth so I stood and made my way out of my room and into the bathroom. I noticed that I was out of toothpaste so I just grabbed the bottle of peroxide on the counter, took a swig and swished it around in my mouth. As I swished the bubbling fluid around in my mouth, I thought back on what Marko had said about being able to lighten hair with peroxide and I realized I'd kind of forgotten about wanting to do it with all the Zach and Max issues going on.

I quickly leaned my head over the sink and drenched my hair in the peroxide. I leaned over like that for about eight minutes while I waited for my hair to stop dripping. I didn't want the peroxide running into my eyes. I then grabbed a towel and began to pat my forehead dry. I raised my head out of the sink and looked into the mirror but to my shock, I saw only part of myself staring back at me. I was entirely translucent.

I screamed loudly and jumped back, tripped over the floor mat and fell backward into the shower. My head collided with the tile which made my headache ten times worse and the shower curtain and rod came toppling down on top of me. I winced in pain but I had little time to freak out any further.

Tawny burst through the bathroom door and looked down at me in shock. "David, what… o-oh my god! Your hair!" She rushed over to me and knelt down by the tub. "It's bright orange!"

I stared at Tawny with wide eyes. I didn't really know what to say to her. Orange hair was bad but it wasn't as bad as having only half of a reflection. I tried my best to stand but my head was throbbing in pain. "This is awful."

"This is why you should've waited for me to help you." Tawny said with a laugh as she grabbed my hands and pulled me up to sit on the edge of the tub. "I mean, I know I said I wouldn't help but I didn't think you'd go and do it on your own! You should've asked me."

"Y-yeah…" I muttered as I put a hand in my soaking wet hair. I let out a slow sigh and glanced at the mirror to make sure that Tawny wouldn't be able to see me in it if she turned around. Thankfully I was in the clear. "Maybe it'll lighten up more after breakfast."

"Well you better hope so." Tawny said with a grin as she took the towel I'd had and wiped away a trail of peroxide that was flowing down my cheek. "Come on. Bacon is almost done and the eggs are already waiting on the table."

I stood to follow Tawny, making sure she exited the bathroom before I walked past the mirror. I cast a quick glance at myself as I walked by. My hair _was_ orange, or at least, what I could see of it was. But I wasn't really concerned about that. My hair was light enough to begin with that I knew it would lighten to blond soon enough. I just had to act like my hair was what was bothering me around Tawny. I mean, how was I supposed to explain that I could see through myself in the mirror?

I followed Tawny to the kitchen and took a seat at the breakfast table. I looked down at the plate of scrambled eggs and picked up my fork, a feeling of illness coming over my stomach. "Eh, I don't know if I'm actually feeling like eggs right now."

"You've got to be kidding me." Tawny said with a scowl. "Don't be such a big baby about your hair, David. If it stays orange, you'll just have to use more peroxide. It'll be blond eventually. Marko _did_ say it takes a bit longer than going to a salon. Just be patient." She used a spatula to slide around the bacon in the pan before scooping it out onto a paper towel on a plate. She then brought the plate over to the table and sat down across from me.

I looked down at the bacon quietly. It was cooked to a nice crisp and looked exactly like how I normally liked my bacon but at that moment it looked entirely unappealing. "Didn't you overcook it a bit?"

"Are you out of your mind? If I cooked it any less it'd be all chewy. Gross." Tawny scowled at me and picked up a piece of bacon. "Besides, I thought you liked it crispy."

"Well, I normally do. But when I sit here and think about it, I can't help but think it would be better chewy." I said with a shrug.

"Why don't I just serve it to you raw then? Jeeze, you're being so ungrateful!" Tawny grumbled under her breath and began eating the food on her own plate.

I rolled my eyes at her comment and sat my fork down to lean on the table. "_I'm_ ungrateful? Tawny, I've been covering your ass with your mom for weeks about this whole Zach situation and I haven't got even one thank you for it! I went and confronted him last night to tell him to leave you alone and-"

"And I made you breakfast to thank you. Just because I don't say what I feel all the time doesn't mean I don't feel it." Tawny said as she crossed her arms. "You know I have a hard time saying what I feel."

"Well it'd be nice to hear what you're thinking every once in a while instead of trying to guess all the time!" I shouted, growing more irritated with her for what was really no good reason. Maybe it was my hunger, or stress, but I was ridiculously irritable at the moment "I'm not a damn mind reader!"

"Believe me, I know! If you were you'd…" Tawny trailed off and scoffed quietly. "Never mind, just eat your breakfast."

"See? That's what I'm talking about. Say what's on your mind rather than leave me guessing. I don't like having to try and figure out what's going on in your head." I looked at Tawny seriously and crossed my arms. "Finish what you were going to say."

Tawny sighed heavily and leaned back in her chair as she stared at the ground. "I was going to say that if you were a mind reader, you'd know that I appreciate everything you've done for me and that I just don't know how to thank you for it. I mean, shit, David… you've done so much for me. You're always there when I need somebody to talk to. You take care of me and protect me and you've shown me that I just need to get out there and live my life regardless of my insecurities and my fears. How many people can say they have a friend like that? Really? You're… you're everything to me and I don't know how to tell you that."

"Tawn…" I stared at Tawny quietly a moment, not sure what to say to her. I had no idea my friendship was that important to her. I mean, most of the time she was mad at me and when she wasn't mad, she was busting my chops or acting extremely annoyed. I kinda just thought she hung out with me because she felt like I kept Zach away from her. I never thought for a minute that she actually valued our relationship. Now I felt like an ass for shouting at her. "Tawny, why-"

"Forget it. Forget I said anything." Tawny stood and grabbed her plate, starting toward the garage.

I jumped to my feet and rushed over to her, grabbing her arm before she could take another step. "Why don't you tell me these things, Tawny?"

"Because I feel stupid when I say things like that out loud. It's corny and lame." Tawny sighed and shook her head. "Like I said, forget I said anything."

I took Tawny's plate from her hands and sat it quickly on the counter. I looked down at her a moment before pulling her into a tight hug. "I don't know what's been going on with you lately but you're my best friend, kiddo. You should be able to say those things and not care how lame it sounds. Look, you know you can tell me anything."

"Anything?" I felt Tawny's hands clutch my shirt tightly as she lifted her head slowly to look up at me. "David…"

"What's up, kiddo?" I asked as I looked down at her with a smile.

There was a sort of sadness in her eyes that I didn't really understand at the time as she inhaled sharply and then quickly looked away. "Your hair. It's blond now. It looks really good. You should probably go wash the peroxide out." She pulled away from me and picked her plate back up, continuing on into the garage. "You know where to find me."

I watched Tawny enter the garage before I let out a small groan and started toward the bathroom. Whatever was bothering Tawny wasn't helping my issue with the lack of a reflection. I looked in the mirror, still only seeing part of myself. Where the rest of me had gone, I didn't know. All I knew was that I'd have to ask Max about it later.

My hair was definitely blond now. It was actually the perfect color. Any blonder and my hair would be white.

I quickly stripped off all my clothes and stepped into the shower, washing my hair clean of the toxins in it. My mind was a jumbled mess as I took my time showering.

I couldn't remember a thing from when I went to see Zach or after but I specifically remembered going and somehow I had managed to wake up in my own bed so obviously I had found my way home safely. Then there was the matter of the reflection thing. I didn't know if maybe Max had special mirrors installed that would give a vampire a reflection and maybe they were malfunctioning, if that kind of thing was even possible. And I was still so hungry but Tawny cooked my favorite thing for breakfast and it didn't seem appealing at all.

I had no idea what was going on and it was really stupid because I should've been able to put two and two together with all the information I had. I don't know… maybe I was in denial.

After I was done showering, I examined myself in the mirror again. It was so strange to see the wall behind me through my face. I tapped my fingers against the mirror but it didn't change anything about my reflection. I decided with a sigh that I would just have to wait for Max to wake up to find out if he knew what was causing the problem. In the meantime, I needed to find something to eat.

I stepped back into my room and put some clothes on quickly, the light coming in from my blinds causing my headache to intensify. "Maybe I'm hungover…" I muttered to myself as I shielded my eyes from the minimal light seeping into the room. I exited my room and walked into the living room, plopping down on the couch as I turned on the television. MTV was already on and Blue Oyster Cult's _The Reaper_ music video was playing. It was soothing to me so I laid my head against the back of the couch and closed my eyes.

It wasn't my intention to fall asleep but that's exactly what happened. The next thing I knew, Tawny was shaking me awake and the only light source in the room was coming from the television. I sat up in a panic and looked around with wide eyes. "Holy shit, what time is it?"

"Six o'clock." Tawny said as she looked at me in curiosity. "Weren't you supposed to be at work four hours ago?"

"Yeah, I… I must've dosed off." I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my face. I felt a lot better. My headache was entirely gone and the only thing that was bothering me was the hunger pains in my stomach. Other than that, I felt fine. "Is Max awake yet?"

"Yeah. He already left for work." Tawny said quietly. "He's not mad that you missed work. I told him you weren't feeling well and he said he'd apologize to Maria for you."

"Well that's a relief. At least he's not mad." I let out a small sigh and placed a hand on my stomach to calm the rumbling. "How come you didn't wake me up earlier?"

"I lost track of time with the puppies and I sort of fell asleep out there." Tawny said sheepishly. How she could fall asleep in the garage was beyond me. It was so uncomfortable out there. She took a seat beside me on the couch and looked ahead at the television. "Are you hungry?"

"Starving." I replied with a chuckle. "But nothing sounds appealing."

"I think I saw some hamburger meat in the fridge earlier." Tawny said with a shrug. "You want some hamburgers? I can cook them on a frying pan if Max doesn't have a grill."

"Max has a grill but I don't know where any of the charcoal for it is." I replied. I thought about hamburgers. They sounded really good to me. I was craving a nice, juicy, bloody hunk of meat which seemed a bit odd because I had always liked my hamburgers well-done. "Hamburgers sound good though. I want mine rare."

"Eww." Tawny curled her nose in disgust as she stood. "You want it to moo at you."

"I'll cook it myself then." I replied irritably as I stood up, my hunger really starting to get to me.

"I'll do it, David. It's fine." Tawny said as she pulled her curls up into a high pony tail with a scrunchie from her wrist. "Just keep me company while I cook, okay?"

"Fine." I followed Tawny into the kitchen and took a seat at the breakfast table, my stomach grumbling.

I watched her wash her hands and pull out a frying pan and the package of hamburger meat. She pulled out the cutting board and began separating the meat. "You want two, right? What about seasoning?"

My eyes had been intent on her hands as she worked with the meat so when she spoke to me, it took a second for her words to register. "Huh? Oh, uh no. No seasoning for me. Just plain old meat."

"If you say so." Tawny said with a shrug. She continued to separate the meat into three decent sized patties and my eyes wouldn't tear away from the sight.

I found myself licking my lips as I watched her flatten the three patties onto the frying pan and the blood squished out of the meat. I stood quickly and walked over to the stove, looking down at the patties. "Don't cook them too long."

"I have to cook them enough to kill the bacteria, David. Jeeze, just relax and let me cook." Tawny huffed and tossed me an irritated glance.

I opened my mouth to retort but I was stopped by the sound of motorbikes outside the house. Tawny froze in fear but I instinctively grabbed one of the kitchen knives and motioned for her to be silent and stay put. I exited the kitchen and made my way to one of the front windows to peer out. I could still hear the engines and I could see lights shining through the windows but as soon as I reached for the doorknob of the front door and pulled it open, everything stopped.

I stepped outside and looked toward the gate where the majority of the light had come from but there was nothing. My brow furrowed in instant confusion and I stepped back into the house, closing the front door and locking it. "You heard that, right?" I asked as I walked back toward the kitchen but I was shocked and kind of scared shitless to find Zach standing in the kitchen right next to Tawny. "Tawny!"

"Ah, ah, ah." Zach said with a smirk as he placed his hand around Tawny's throat. "Don't take another step."

I stared in horror as Zach ran his hand up Tawny's throat and pulled her head back but there didn't seem to be any reaction from her at all. Not a peep. "What did you do to her?"

"Oh nothing. Just a little hypnosis to keep her calm. She actually has no idea where she is right now. She's not aware of a thing." Zach said with a smile. "I thought it'd be better that way. We can talk without her hysterics. She's normally so dramatic."

"Stay away from her!" I demanded as I took a step forward but with my motion, Zach only tightened his grip on Tawny's throat and took a step backward.

"Tsk, tsk. Can't you follow directions, David?" Zach snapped his fingers and in an instant, Dwayne and Paul entered the kitchen to restrain me. "I'd really hoped to avoid using force. After all, I only came to see how your first day went."

"My first day?" I asked with a growl as Paul and Dwayne grabbed my arms and held me back. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I take it you didn't feed. How disappointing." Zach said with a forced sigh. "I guess you're more stubborn than I realized. I thought at the very least, you'd ransack Max's stash and alleviate the hunger."

"What do you mean?" I asked, my anger growing as I began to realize exactly what Zach was talking about though I was still in denial about it.

"You must be starving. You haven't eaten all day." Zach said as he stepped closer and brought Tawny with him. "I bet you're just craving something thick and rich, sweet with the force of life."

At Zach's words, I could feel the pit of my stomach churn in hunger. It was a pain unlike anything I'd ever felt before. It took everything in my power to remain standing as wave after wave of pain struck my stomach. "You shit, what did you do to me?"

"You might think eating a few bloody burgers can satiate your thirst but you're sorely mistaken. Animal blood is no substitute for the real thing. Nothing is sweeter than fresh human blood, David." Zach chuckled at his own words and stepped closer to me, bringing Tawny within arm's reach. "Feed on her."

"F-fuck you!" I managed to shout out before clenching my teeth in an effort to fight the pain I felt.

"Don't you want a little sister?" Zach replied with a laugh. "You said yourself, all Max wants is a family. You want Tawny in that family, don't you David?"

"L-leave us alone." I muttered. I clenched my eyes shut and tried to keep myself from looking at Tawny's bared neck but it didn't help. Her heartbeat was pounding in my ears. Her pulse was racking against my chest. It was as though I could feel every bit of her life force with my own body. I could feel myself trembling and I dared a glance at Zach and Tawny.

It was all over in that moment.

I could see her pulse pounding against her flesh and I lost myself. I managed to tear from Dwayne and Paul's hold and I reached out to grab Tawny. I cupped the back of her head in one hand and pulled her body close with the other. In an instant I had her pinned against the counter with my mouth on her throat and eyes clenched tight. I could feel her heartbeat against my tongue as I allowed myself to bite down and pierce her fragile flesh with my teeth.


	15. One Giant Mess

Here you go! The next chapter!

I'm having an issue with my laptop and I'm going to have to take it to a repair shop so hopefully I'll have it back in time to update next week. If not, please accept my apologies ahead of time.

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

I could hear Zach's laughter echoing in my ears as I opened my eyes to find myself holding Tawny, her body tensed against mine and her pulse was racing but there was no taste of blood in my mouth. Just the taste of her flesh. I felt petrified as I pulled back from her slowly and I could hear her say my name, though she sounded miles away.

"David… wh-what are you doing?" Tawny pushed against me weakly and looked up at me, her face bright red and bottom lip quivering.

I took a step back from her, completely mortified. I looked at her neck to make sure that I hadn't actually bit her. Thankfully I hadn't but I would've sworn that I did. My hands were trembling and my mouth was dry. I didn't know what to say to her. The hunger I felt was still intense and the desire to feed on her hadn't really left me. I took a few steps backward toward the garage as she stared at me in confusion.

I knew I couldn't stay there; not with me wanting her blood as badly as I did.

I threw the garage door open and jumped on my bike. I sped off as quickly as I could; headed toward the one person I felt could really help me. I rushed to June's apartment and parked my bike outside. She wasn't on the fire escape like she had been the previous night but I didn't let that stop me. I rushed up the fire escape and threw open her window. "June!"

"David?" June looked at me in concern as she came from her kitchen over to the window. "What's going on?"

"June, I need your help." I climbed into the apartment through the window and began pacing as soon as my feet touched the floor. "I'm really screwed."

"What happened, David?" June said as she motioned for me to sit on her couch.

I took a seat on the couch, my hands shaking as I tried to calm myself. "I almost bit her! I almost fed on her like a… like a damn animal!"

"Wait a minute." June said as she stepped back into her kitchen and returned a moment later with a cup in her hand. She handed it over to me and watched me intently. "Drink this. Tell me what you think of it."

I took the cup in my hand but I didn't take a moment to examine it. Whatever was in it smelled delicious and that was all it took for me to bring the cup to my lips. I was so hungry. I took a gulp of the liquid. It tasted unlike anything I'd ever tasted before.

It was delicious and I drank every bit of it.

"C-can I have some more?" I asked as I handed the cup back to June with unsteady hands.

"Of course you can, David." June replied with a sad sigh. "It'll just take me a moment to warm some more up."

I looked at June as she started back into the kitchen. I didn't want to ask what it was that she had given me to drink. I was afraid of the answer even though I already knew deep down inside what she'd given me. "June, what is it?"

"It's blood, David." June said calmly as she continued on into the kitchen.

A feeling of illness overtook me. I knew it. I just knew it but I didn't want it to be true.

I mean, I had been tossing around the idea of becoming a vampire for a few days now but I hadn't made any definite decision on the matter. I had kind of decided to wait and see what choice Marcy and Tawny made before I even considered what I was going to do. Now vampirism had been forced upon me and I didn't know who was to blame; Max or Zach.

June returned a few minutes later carrying two cups. She handed one to me and sat beside me on the couch with a sad expression on her face. "So, you said you almost fed on someone?"

"My best friend. I…" I shook my head in disbelief and took a sip of the blood June had offered me. "I could feel the resistance of her skin against my teeth and then a snap when they finally broke through her flesh but when I realized what I was doing and pulled away, there was no bite mark."

June furrowed her brow in confusion. "So you bit her, but you didn't?"

"I don't know. I thought I did." I replied, taking another long sip from the cup in my hand. "Zach had her hypnotized and he was egging me on and-"

"Zachary was there?" June said, her eyes growing wide. "Did he try to hurt her?"

I shook my head slowly and stared down at my cup. "No. He just wanted me to feed on her. He didn't act like he was really there to hurt anybody, just to make me feed. And I almost did. Jeeze, I almost drank her blood! I… I thought I actually did for a minute."

"He made you believe that you did." June replied. "Vampires have certain abilities, David. They can make you see what they want you to see. Feel what they want you to feel. Zachary wanted you to believe that you had fed on your friend. Chances are, whatever confrontation you two had didn't even occur. He may have just made you believe that he was actually urging you to feed on her. Or perhaps he was truly urging you. I can't say. I don't know if he wants her dead or alive."

"Or a vampire." I stood quickly and looked at June in worry. "June, how does someone become a vampire?"

"Well, it's all about an exchange of fluids from the vampire to the human rather than the other way around as you might believe. I view vampirism as a sort of virus. Vampires carry that virus within them and they can exchange it readily with humans. A bite would be sufficient, assuming the human isn't drained and doesn't bleed out. The human then carries a curable form of that virus until the head vampire is killed or until they make their first kill, at which point the virus would completely take over their system." June stood slowly and looked at me. "But if you're worried about Zachary turning your friend, consider this; he could have done it at any time if that was what he wanted. The same could be said for killing her. What I think Zachary wants from you, David, is for you to suffer."

"But he _wants_ Tawny. He told me that. He wants her and he said that Max can't have her." I stared down at the floor in thought. "He wants her in his family so why wouldn't he turn her? Why bait me into biting her?"

June looked at me calmly and sighed. "Think of it this way, David. We'll say for argument's sake that you did bite her and there was an exchange of fluid. If she is unwilling and she believes you are the one who turned her because of Max, who will she turn to?"

"Zach." I growled and clenched my fists, anger welling within me. "That bastard!"

"Now, now. Just calm down." June said in a soothing voice as she placed a hand on my shoulder. "You didn't feed on her so you don't need to worry. Zachary has no power over you. I'm going to give you something that is going to help you. You just drink the rest of that to curve your hunger and I'll be right back."

I nodded quickly and watched as June disappeared into her kitchen. I drank the rest of the blood in the cup and let out a small sigh. I didn't know what I was going to do. How was I supposed to explain everything to Tawny? Maybe I could tell her the truth. But then what if that scared her away? I couldn't protect her from Zach if she wouldn't have anything to do with me and Max would be furious if I ended up scaring her off at this point.

June came back from the kitchen with a brown paper bag in hand and gave it to me quickly. "I want you to take these. Drink a little bit every night and it should help stave off the cravings. And eat as much bloody red meat as possible."

I peered into the bag as June took the cup from my hands. I was surprised to see some of her zip lock bags full of blood inside. "But, don't you need these?"

"I do but you need them too." June said with a smile.

"June, Max has blood in his freezer!" I protested as I tried to hand the bag back. "I can just-"

"It's human blood, no doubt. I still don't know if consuming human blood is what will turn you into a full vampire or if it has to be an actual victim but it's not a risk you should take." June grabbed my hand that held the bag and moved it to lie against my chest. "Take it David, please. Keep yourself curable."

"Thank you, June." I mumbled as I gripped the bag tightly. "For all your help and-"

"Yes, yes. _Thank_ you June." I heard Zach's voice say. June and I both froze and stared at each other as we heard Zach's footsteps draw closer. "You've been ever so helpful."

"Zachary…" June stepped in front of me and glared at Zach as though she was protecting me. "Why are you involving David in this?"

"You involved him, didn't you?" Zach said with a smirk. "I mean, you didn't exactly stop him from going to Max's video shop."

"I was trying to help him but there was no way I was going to follow him there! I tried to warn him." June said, anger causing her voice to crack. She was normally so calm, but not now. "I was trying to get him out of this city."

"Oh? With Clover and Anubis? Who are you trying to kid, June? Anubis was a half vampire himself!" Zach chuckled and shook his head. "You don't really think he's going to be able to fight off his cravings, do you?"

"Anubis was… when?" June's anger turned to fear and I could see by the posture of her body, she was beginning to panic.

"Shortly before he left with your dear baby sister. I thought it would make things more interesting." Zach replied with a shrug and devilish grin. "I wonder if he turned her or fed on her."

"You son of a bitch!" June lurched forward with her hands aimed at Zach's throat. She seemed to catch him off guard but it did her no good. He was simply just too strong.

I watched as he picked her up and slammed her onto the ground, the impact clearly knocking the wind out of her. There was a feral look about her in that instant. Her face transformed from something beautiful into something nearly unrecognizable to me.

June lunged at Zach again but he stopped her with his foot on her chest and held her against the floor. "You know, David, there's a few benefits to being a vampire that nobody else really gets to enjoy. Eternal life, for one. Abilities like hypnosis and telepathy. And of course, there's always my personal favorite. High speed regeneration." As he said this, he reached down and grabbed June's arm, twisting it with a loud crack.

She cried in pain and I wanted to reach out and help her but I was frozen in my spot by fear.

"Of course, half vampires aren't as gifted. They still heal faster than humans but it takes hours. They have budding mental capabilities but nothing truly worthy of note. Oh, and of course, they can still die." Zach knelt down and wrapped his hand around June's throat.

At seeing this, I managed to bolt forward and shove Zach off of June but he only moved a few inches. I grabbed her and pulled her up and away from him but he didn't seem bothered by my actions at all. "Leave her alone!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, David." Zach said with a snicker as he dusted himself off. "I have some loose ends to tie up and your friend June just happens to be one of them. She's no longer useful to me. As a matter of fact, she's hindering my plans. I mean, giving you animal's blood to sustain yourself. Spare me."

"Stay away from her!" I shouted, pulling June closer against me. "She just wants to be human again."

"Not my problem." Zach replied with a laugh. "The only thing that _is_ my problem is what I'm going to do with Tawny after Paul and Dwayne are done with her. I mean, girls like their privacy, right? Maybe I can section off an area of the cavern just for her."

My heart dropped into my stomach at the mention of Tawny. I'd left her entirely alone and defenseless without even thinking about what Zach or the others might be doing to her. "Damn it…"

"Go to her, David." June said, her voice raspy. "I can handle him."

"June?" I looked at her curiously but she had her gaze set on Zach and she looked ready to attack. The calm, quiet hippie woman was gone and there was only a monster in her place, waiting to strike.

"You better listen to her, David. There's no telling what Dwayne and Paul are doing to Tawny as we speak. I told them to have their fun with her." Zach grinned widely and shrugged. "Who knows what they thought I meant by those orders?"

I growled at Zach's words and bolted past him, hurrying my way out of the window and down the fire escape. I knew, I just knew that June was not going to survive that confrontation and I felt enormous guilt because I thought I had led Zach right to her. June had only ever tried to help me and I ended up being the reason she never got to become human again.

I rushed home as fast as I could and burst through the front door to find Tawny lying on the couch, covered in a blanket no less. I ran over to her and knelt down, shaking her lightly. "Tawny. Tawny, please wake up."

Tawny let out a small whimper and it was the most beautiful noise I'd ever heard. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at me curiously. "You're back. Where did you go?"

"Don't worry about that." I said as I began looking over her body for bite marks. "How do you feel? Are you hungry?"

Tawny furrowed her brow and shook her head. "No. I ate a burger. I'm pretty full." She sat up and stretched, letting out a small yawn. "I put your patties in the fridge. I didn't know when you'd be back, if you'd be back, so I wrapped them up and put them away for you."

"Tawny, listen to me. I need to know everything you remember from the past hour. It's really important." I said as I took a seat beside her on the couch. "Everything."

"Everything?" Tawny looked away from me in slight discomfort. "W-well, I woke up in the garage to one of the puppies licking my hand. I realized I'd fallen asleep so I hurried up and came back in the house and washed the dishes from breakfast this morning. Then Max came into the kitchen. He seemed surprised that I was still here and he mentioned that he saw you sleeping on the couch. I told him you weren't feeling well, he left for work and then I woke you up. You hadn't eaten breakfast so I figured you were hungry. That's when I offered to make hamburgers. You said you wanted yours rare and I got grossed out. You got all huffy because I was grossed out."

I rolled my eyes at Tawny's "huffy" comment and shook my head. "I was not _huffy_, but anyway."

"You were _huffy_, David, and you said you'd make it yourself then but I told you'd I'd make it as long as you came to keep me company. You were super quiet while I was making the patties but as soon as I started cooking them you stood up and told me not to overcook them. I told you not to worry about it and then," Tawny paused and frowned in confusion. "And then… then I don't really know what happened. The next thing I knew, you had me pinned against the counter and you were… k-kissing my neck."

I felt embarrassment flood over my face at those words. The truth was, I wasn't kissing Tawny. I knew that. I was preparing to bite her. I thought I already _had _bitten her. Of course, she didn't see it like that. She regained consciousness to find me pinning her against the counter, holding her close with my mouth and tongue against her throat. What else was she supposed to think? "Listen, Tawn… about that-"

"It's okay, David." Tawny said with a blushed smile and a shrug. "I feel the same. I have for a long time and it's kind of been bothering me that I didn't think you felt that way. But now that I know…" She leaned forward, much to my horror, and grabbed my jacket. She pulled me closer by it and pressed her lips against my mouth.

Now, I'm not normally the kind of guy to freak out when a beautiful girl is kissing him but there were two very huge factors preventing me from letting it happen.

The first was that it was Tawny. I loved the girl to death but _not in that way_. I just didn't and I hated the idea of telling her that and hurting her but it was the truth. She was a friend, not a love interest.

The second was a much more pressing matter. I remembered what June said about vampirism being a sort of virus and the exchange of fluids being the cause of humans turning into vampires. I figured that if a vampire's saliva entering a bite wound was enough to turn a human, there was a possibility of mouth to mouth contact causing vampirism as well. I could accidentally turn Tawny just by accepting her kiss.

I had to pull away.

I pushed her back slowly and shook my head. "Tawny, don't."

"But…" Tawny looked at me in confusion, sadness coming over her face. I hated seeing that look in her eyes but deep down I knew it was for the best. "But you kissed me first."

"It's not like what you think, Tawn. I didn't mean it like that. I was just…" I let out a heavy sigh, not sure how to explain what had happened. I couldn't tell her I was poised to sink my teeth into her flesh but I damn well couldn't let her believe I was interested in her sexually. "Look, I don't know what came over me, alright? Tawn, I would _never_ try to be with you like that. That isn't to say you aren't beautiful because, damn it kid, you're gorgeous. But when I think of you, it's not in _that way_. Does that make sense?"

"No David. It doesn't." Tawny's face turned from hurt to angry in two seconds flat. "You say you'd never try to be with me but you were still kissing my neck! What the hell am I supposed to think?"

Really, I was only digging myself a deeper hole at this point but I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Look, I blacked out!"

"You… blacked out." Tawny repeated, staring at me as though she could see right through my lie. "So wait, let me see if I understand this. You just happen to black out and start kissing girls on their necks. Wow, David."

"I know it sounds ridiculous." I said as I watched Tawny stand and start toward the front door.

"Oh, you're right. It sounds ridiculous. I'm leaving." Tawny said as she cast a glance at me and continued to storm toward the door angrily. "Have a nice life, David."

"Wait, wait, wait." As Tawny pulled the door open, I rushed over, slammed up against it to keep it closed and kept my weight against it so she couldn't go. "Don't leave like this, kiddo."

"_Stop_ calling me _kiddo_! Christ, David! I'm only a year younger than you! My birthday is in a week and I'll be seventeen and you still treat me like I'm a little girl! I'm not a little girl! I'm a woman and it'd be nice to finally be treated like one!" Tawny turned to look up at me, a strange mixture of anger and pain in her eyes. "Just let me leave, David."

"I don't want you to leave. I want you to stay here where it's safe." I stared down at Tawny in genuine concern, begging her with my eyes just to stay. "Please."

Tawny looked down at the floor sadly for a moment before nodding her head. I took a step back from her and allowed her to brush past me and make her way to the couch.

I watched her plop down and curl herself into the fetal position as she laid her head on the arm of the couch. She looked so crushed and I hated to see her that way but it was really for the best. She was trying her hardest not to look at me as I came over and sat down on the other side of the couch. I tried to watch the movie she had been watching but my mind kept swirling in a huge circle of worries.

Had Zach killed June or had she managed to get away? Would he be back for me and Tawny? Was he going to turn her? Would I be able to stop myself from feeding on humans? What would happen when Tawny finally found out the truth? What was Max going to say about all of it?

And what, if anything, were we going to do about Zach?

I looked over at Tawny and saw that she had dozed off again. I picked up the blanket that she had been using earlier and covered her with it carefully so I didn't wake her. I let out a heavy sigh, stress from everything beginning to overwhelm me.

Everything was so uncertain but the one thing I did know beyond any form of doubt was that I wanted to keep her safe.

"Goodnight, ki-" No… not kiddo. "Goodnight, Tawny."


	16. Good Questions With No Answers

Sorry I'm a little late with the upload this week. I just got my laptop back.

I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

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I was startled awake by Max's hand on my shoulder shaking me lightly. I was freaked out at first when I saw his face staring down at me but I quickly remembered that I was already a half vampire. He wouldn't feed on me. I looked around and realized I was still in the living room but the television had been turned off and Tawny was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Tawny?" I said immediately; panic beginning to work its way into my brain.

"Relax." Max said calmly as he knelt down before me. "She and Marcy went home a moment ago."

"Oh man… Marcy must've been pissed that she had to come all the way here to get Tawny." I mumbled as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

"She was upset, but mostly because she was worried about Tawny. She couldn't get ahold of her and naturally, a mother tends to panic when she can't find her daughter." Max shrugged and smiled. "I explained that you were feeling a little under the weather and that Tawny had stayed here to take care of you. She seemed happy with that explanation but she was still a bit upset with Tawny for not calling her and letting her know she'd be here."

"Well, at least she's not mad at me." I replied. "But are you?"

Max let out a small chuckle and shook his head. "No, son. I'm not mad at you. You did a very good job tonight."

I sat upright and looked at Max in curiosity as he stood and started into the kitchen. "What do you mean?" I stood slowly and followed after him, hoping that the kitchen wasn't an absolute disaster area.

"Zachary was here tonight, wasn't he?" Max said as he opened the freezer and pulled out one of the frozen dinner boxes.

I watched him quietly and nodded as he pulled out one of the bags of blood from the box and began to thaw it under hot water in the sink. "Yeah. He uh, he was here." I muttered.

Max sighed and shook his head. "That boy, up to trouble no doubt. But you protected Tawny. I'm very proud of you. Vampirism is her choice to make. It's not something that should be forced upon her and it's not a decision anyone else can make for her. You protected her right to choose."

"I…" I looked at Max curiously but decided to quit trying to figure out how he knew all the things he knew despite that I didn't believe him to be a mind reader. "I wasn't going to let him hurt Tawny."

"You have a good nature about you, David. It's one of the reasons I chose you." Max smiled at me but his smile quickly faded. "There is one thing, however." He reached into his jacket and pulled out the small sack of blood bags that June had given me. "I found this out on the driveway."

My face paled as my gaze fell on the small bag. I had completely forgotten about it in my hurry to check on Tawny but I must've been clutching it the whole way home. "That's-"

"Now, I don't know where you got it and I don't want to know. But I'm only going to tell you this once, David. This is not allowed in my house. This is worthless and does little for you but to give you a false sense of complacency. You deserve much better than that." Max carted the bag over to the trash can and tossed it inside. He then stepped back over to the sink, turned off the water and grabbed two wine glasses from the cupboard. He poured blood from the zip lock bag into both glasses and offered one of them to me. "Enjoy."

I took the glass hesitantly and looked down at it. It was warm in my hands and of course my stomach was grumbling at the sight of it but I didn't know if I could actually drink it. "But this is… human blood." I said as I looked back up at Max. "Isn't it?"

"Well, of course it is." Max said with a smile as he drank from his own glass. "It wouldn't be anything else."

I returned my gaze to the glass and swallowed hard. "If I drink this it'll make me-"

"A half vampire who has just had his first taste of human blood." Max said calmly. "Nothing more, David."

I shook my head in protest. "But I thought that once a half vampire drinks human blood, they become a full vampire."

"I'm afraid it doesn't work like that. You see, there really is a supernatural element in becoming a full vampire. You must actually kill and feed from a human. Drinking blood from another's kill doesn't change you." Max continued to smile and motioned for me to drink. "I wouldn't lie to you, David. Go on and drink. It's nobody you would have known."

I looked down at the glass calmly. My stomach was beginning to gurgle in anticipation but I wasn't sure if I was alright with the idea of drinking blood from somebody who probably didn't deserve to die. "Who did it belong to?"

Max looked at the bag which he'd left in the sink and examined it quietly for a moment. "Fifty-one… who was that? Hmm." He brought his finger to his lips in thought before it seemed to dawn upon him. "Oh, I remember. About thirty years ago I did some volunteer work at a home for the elderly. There was an old man there, riddled with ailments. They did everything they could to make his life comfortable but he only wanted to die, so I kindly obliged him. You see, David, growing old is a terrible thing. It's insufferable to most and nearly every human reaches a point to where their desires shift from wishing to live to wishing to die. You're still young so you still have that desire to live but one day, you'll be as sad as that old man. Aching and in immeasurable pain and only wanting to die but with no real way to facilitate it. That is, of course, unless you change it."

I stared down at the glass again, Max's words churning around in my head. He was right. Growing old was a terrible thing. I'd watched both sets of my grandparents die at early ages from all different forms of cancer. They weren't even very old; my mom's mom being the youngest at forty-five when she died from lung cancer. It was kind of an accepted fact that one day soon my parents were going to die from cancer and eventually, so would I.

My most vivid memory was being four years old and standing next to my Nan while she laid in the hospital bed dying. My mom was a hysterical mess and my dad was of course nowhere to be found because it wasn't _his_ mother dying so why should he be there. I remembered watching her struggle to breath, even with the oxygen mask on her face. She was being pumped with so many fluids and medication and none of it was really helping her. All those tubes and cords did was make her unrecognizable to me. That was the last time I saw my Nan alive and she looked like she was in so much pain.

I never wanted to go through that. I never wanted anyone to ever have to go through that. The more I thought about it, the more sense it seemed to make to become a full vampire. I was so sure I'd never have to feel pain or suffer. I'd never have to die. I just hoped that Marcy and Tawny would agree it was best for them too. Maybe Max's crazy idea of a big, happy vampire family wasn't so crazy after all.

I took a drink from the glass and I was in awe. As delicious as the animal blood that June had given me tasted, the human blood was almost too amazing to describe. As soon as it hit the pit of my stomach, my whole body warmed intensely. I felt a strange rush of euphoria overtaking me and I couldn't help but smile. I quickly drank down the rest of the glass and let out a contented sigh. "This tastes amazing…"

"It's good, though a bit stale." Max said as he finished off his glass. "Nothing can replace the real thing. These are mostly in case of an emergency but I thought you deserved a treat after tonight."

"Max, when are you going to tell Marcy the truth?" I blurted out before I even had a chance to think on what I had said. "I mean… you're pretty sure she's the one, right? And Zach is so persistent about Tawny and everything. It's only a matter of time until he gets to her and warns her away from us. What if we lose them? Or what if Marcy says she doesn't want to be a vampire? What then?"

"These are all good questions, David." Max said with a forced smile. "I suppose we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Perhaps the best course of action to take would be for you and Tawny to discuss vampirism while I discuss it with Marcy. They might feel threatened with the two of us together telling them but if we do it individually…"

"Tawny's not going to listen to me, Max." I replied as I shook my head. "I hurt her really bad tonight, emotionally, and I don't think-"

"She will listen to you. You mean a lot to her, David." Max clasped my shoulder to reassure me and smiled. "The sun will be up soon. You should go to sleep. You can talk to Tawny tomorrow night."

"Alright." I nodded slowly and placed the wine glass in the sink. I made my way to my room and sighed heavily. I wasn't looking forward to the next day at all. Firstly, I would have to go and check on June to make sure that she was okay. Then I was going to have to tell Tawny the truth. I didn't know which was a more terrifying thought.

I flopped down onto my bed and covered my head with my blanket. Sleep was all I really could do, so naturally, it didn't come to me easily.


	17. Dracula Never Had These Problems

I can't believe we're already 17 chapters in. Wow…

This chapter is one of my personal favorites.

Thanks again to the readers and reviewers. I appreciate it a lot! Enjoy!

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It was unusually dark in my room when I woke up the next day. I thought for a moment that I had maybe woke up before the sun but I quickly realized that I had actually woke up just after sunset. It caused me to panic because I still had so much I needed to do and already, I had lost half the day.

Oh, and there was one other little thing bothering me…

I was floating against the freaking ceiling.

I screamed loudly and tried to push myself down but for whatever reason, I couldn't seem to make gravity work for me. I just sat there with my body pressed against the ceiling; a feeling in my stomach like something was pulling me upward. I tried not to panic but trying not to panic and actually not panicking are two entirely different things.

I didn't know what to do so I screamed for Max, hoping he would hear me. "Max! Max, help!"

It didn't take long for Max to enter my room and as soon as he did, he began to chuckle. "What seems to be the problem?"

"What seems to be the problem!?" I echoed. "I'm pinned against the freaking ceiling!"

"You've merely taken flight, David. This happens to young vampires who have yet to learn to control their powers. Although it can happen occasionally to long term vampires in their sleep. This is why our kind has slept in coffins for centuries, of course there are more modern ways to deal with it now." Max said as he reached up for me.

I reached down and grabbed ahold of his hand, allowing him to pull me to the floor. I clung tightly to his arm and gasped for breath. "That's not going to happen all the time, is it?"

"Not if you learn to control it. Of course, you can't control much as a half vampire." Max smiled and released his hold on me. "You should be alright now. It's usually something that sneaks up on you during sleep."

"What else do I need to know about vampires?" I said, body shaking a bit as I took a seat on my bed. "You know, so I can have an idea before I become full-fledged."

"Well, there's a lot to know, though it's more of a learning experience than an instructional discussion." Max said with a shrug as he took a seat beside me. "For starters, there are a lot of myths surrounding vampires. Some are true and some are horribly false. Garlic, for example, is a falsity. I'm actually a fan of Italian food and have never been turned away by the smell or taste of garlic. It doesn't do anything to me. Another falsity is the idea that vampires glow or shine. If we did, it wouldn't be very beneficial to us, now would it? Our victims would see us coming from miles away."

I chuckled at that statement and nodded. "Yeah, that was one thing I never understood. Kind of ridiculous, actually."

"Very ridiculous. Humans will perpetuate the most absurd rumors." Max laughed softly and continued on with his explanation. "And what else, let's see… hmm. Oh yes! Bats! The laughable idea that vampires turn to bats to fly is too far spread for my liking. We most certainly do not turn into bats, though it's true that _some_ vampires possess the ability to transform into other forms, but it's very rare and I've never personally met a vampire capable of doing so. We also each have our own unique abilities but nearly all vampires are capable of the simplest form of hypnosis. As far as harming a vampire, holy water and sunlight are both highly dangerous. Enough of either can kill you. Also, a sharp object through the heart is enough to kill a vampire but it has to be directly through the heart. Nowhere else. "

"What about turning humans into vampires?" I asked curiously. "How do you do that?"

"That is something that can only be done one of two ways." Max said with a sigh. "The most common way is with a bite. Biting a human without killing them will turn them into a vampire. Then of course, there's the unconventional route. Drinking the blood of a vampire will also turn a human, though I've never seen it done. I imagine it's very difficult to obtain vampire blood because vampires heal at rapid speed. It could take days just to get one cup of blood. But David, turning humans is not something done without consequence. Imagine if every vampire turned their loved ones into vampires as well. Soon it would spread on and on until there were only vampires left in the world with no humans to feed upon."

"I understand." I said with a nod. "With great power comes great responsibility. At least, I think that's how the saying goes, right?"

Max snickered and nodded his head. "Precisely." He opened his mouth to say more but he was stopped by the sound of the doorbell ringing. He stood quickly and looked down at me nervously. "That's Marcy. How do I look?"

"You look fine." I said with a shrug, not really paying much attention to what Max was actually wearing. "I guess I should keep Tawny company."

"Oh, Tawny isn't coming." Max said quickly. "I think she's grounded."

"Grounded? But that means…" What it meant was that Tawny was home alone, entirely unguarded. With Zach and the others on the prowl, I didn't feel comfortable leaving her at her house, even if it meant I had to sit outside all night and keep watch.

I bolted past Max and into the garage. Bridgette growled at me as I ran past but I paid her no mind as I pushed the garage door open and jumped onto my bike, not bothering to close the door as I sped off down the driveway and into the night.

It felt like it took me forever to reach Tawny's house. I hit damn near every red light on the way and it seemed like every cop on the road was on the route to her house so I couldn't just run them. When I finally got there, every light in the house was off except for her bedroom light on the second floor. I knocked on the door loudly and rang the doorbell a billion times but she didn't answer so I stepped back onto the yard and shouted for her. "Tawny! It's me, David! Let me in!"

Of course there wasn't a response, and why would there be? She was angry with me for what she believed to be a very good reason. Still, good or bad reasons aside, I wasn't going to let anything stop me.

I stepped up to the porch and climbed up on the railing. I thought for sure I would be wobbly but I quickly realized that I had an amazing sense of balance. I couldn't figure out if it was due to being a half vampire or if I was simply too determined to fail but I didn't bother wasting my time trying to figure it out. I grabbed the roof and pulled myself up quickly, making my way over to her window. I knocked lightly once and peered in, seeing a look of complete disbelief come over her face as she spotted me. "Let me in!"

Tawny stared at me, obviously torn between storming over to yell at me and covering her legs because she was in underwear and a tank top. She chose the former and threw open her window in anger. "What the hell do you think you're doing!?"

"I came to talk to you." I said as I began to climb through the window.

"I don't want to talk to you, David!" Tawny said with a huff as she tried to close the window on me. "You can't come in my room!"

"I'm already half way in." I replied as I pushed Tawny backward slightly so that I could climb in completely. I looked up at her as I sat on the windowsill and placed my feet firmly on the ground. "This is some pretty important stuff, Tawn. Will you hear me out?"

"I don't know why I should." Tawny said, taking a seat on her bed as she crossed her arms. "Everything you say is a lie."

"You're right." I sighed heavily and shrugged. "I'm a liar. I've lied to you about so many things, I don't even know where to begin telling the truth."

Tawny furrowed her brow in confusion and shifted slightly. "Wait, you admit that you're a liar?"

"There's just been so much, Tawn. I mean, I really don't know where to start other than at the beginning." I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "The only reason I'm even living with Max is because he wanted me to get close to you so that he could get to know your mom. I didn't want anyone to get hurt and I never thought in a million years that you would fall-"

"Can it, David." Tawny said with a scowl. "You didn't come here to talk about me and my feelings."

I shook my head slowly and looked at her. "No, I guess I didn't." I inhaled deeply again and stared at her. "You're my best friend, Tawny. That part is one-hundred percent real, and I never meant for things to get messed up between us. I feel like half the time I was pissing you off because I was so oblivious and that took a toll on our friendship just as badly as all my lies did. I just wanted to protect everyone; you, Max and your mom… and myself. Then everything got even more messed up. You know that day I met Marko and we hung out all day until sunset?"

Tawny nodded slowly and looked at me in questioning. "So? What about it?"

"After Marko went home and your mom picked you up, I had a run in with Zach." I paused slightly at the look of horror on Tawny's face. "He, uh… he told me some pretty crazy stuff. He told me that Max is a vampire."

"A… vampire." Tawny blinked at me quietly a moment before standing up and starting toward her bedroom door. "Okay, David. You've officially just ended our friendship. You come in here talking about telling the truth and all that crap and then you say Max is a vampire. I'm done. This is just absolutely ridiculous. You're a damn liar and it's gotten out of control."

"Tawny, wait!" I stood quickly and followed Tawny down the hall to the stairs where she began to hurry her way down. I didn't know where she was going but I knew she couldn't be leaving in just her underwear and a tank top, especially because the weather had gotten so cold. I followed her and found her in the kitchen where she was standing with the refrigerator door open, an angry scowl on her face. "Tawny, listen to me."

"No! I've had enough listening to you, David! Enough is enough! I'm ignoring you now so you might as well just leave." Tawny reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a jar of mayo and a package of turkey meat before slamming the door with her foot.

I watched her cart the items over to the cutting board and reach into the breadbox. I felt helpless for a moment before I realized that she could act like I wasn't there all she wanted but she could still hear me. I stepped up next to the cutting board and stared down at her. "I thought the same thing you're thinking now, Tawny. I thought that vampires didn't exist and that Zach was full of shit. But then he mentioned a girl named Clover and her sister, June. She's the one you heard about Max from, right? About how he was trying to get with her sister and her sister was in her twenties… Clover is the girl that told you, right?"

Tawny froze for a moment and stared down at the bread in her hands before seemingly deciding my words were worthless and continuing on with her sandwich by grabbing a butter knife to spread her mayo.

I decided to continue. "Well I went to June and she told me the same thing. So did Max. He admitted it, Tawny. He's a vampire and so is Zach! And when I went to talk to Zach about it some more and to tell him to leave us alone he…" I trailed off and looked at Tawny calmly, hoping my next words didn't freak her out. "He turned me into a half vampire and that's why last night-"

I was shocked when Tawny whirled around to face me with the butter knife in hand. She pointed it dangerously close to my face and started walking toward me. "You lying shit."

I backed away from Tawny slowly as she advanced toward me. It wasn't that I was afraid of the knife so much as I was the mayo on it. I was wearing my good clothes and I didn't want the greasy mayonnaise to stain them. "Tawny, I'm not lying."

"Oh yeah? Prove it!" Tawny slammed the butter knife down on the counter in favor of pulling out a much bigger knife from a nearby drawer. She put it against her hand and gripped it tightly.

"Tawn, don't!" I shouted and I reached out to stop her but it was too late.

She gave the knife a quick tug and the look of pain on her face seemed overwhelming. She dropped the knife and winced in pain but still kept her determination. She held her now bleeding hand up to my face and glared at me. "Drink it."

Instantly at the sight and smell of the blood, my stomach began to gurgle in hunger. I hadn't eaten all day and although I hadn't really been hungry, just thinking about it made me feel starved. I turned away from the sight and tried to lower Tawny's hand away from my face. "Tawny, knock it off."

"Why, David? Vampires like blood, don't they? Oh wait, let me guess… you're a vegetarian vampire." Tawny scoffed and continued to force her hand in my face. "Come on. Drink it, David!"

"Tawny, stop!" I reached out and grabbed the wrist of her wounded hand, lowering it so that I could look at her without seeing the blood. "Just quit."

"Drink it, David! It's free blood!" Tawny said in a mocking tone. "What's wrong? Don't have the stomach for it? Are you afraid of a little blood?"

"No, you dumb ass!" I said with a snarl as I pinned Tawny up against the counter and glared down at her. "I'm afraid that if I start I won't want to stop and I don't want to hurt you!"

Tawny stared at me quietly for a moment before she pushed me away and scoffed again. "Yeah, right David. Give me a break." She walked over to a drawer and opened it, pulling out a dish rag which she then attempted to tie around her hand to no avail.

"Here, let me help." I said, fighting off my hunger long enough to help close up the wound and hopefully stop the delicious smell of her blood wafting through the air.

"I can do it myself!" Tawny said as she tore her hand from my grasp in anger.

I grabbed it back quickly and began to tie the dish rag around her hand, much to her disapproval. "Stop it, you stubborn brat. I'm trying to be honest with you here and you're acting like a child."

"_I'm_ acting like a child!?" Tawny shrieked as I finished bandaging up her hand. "You're the one talking about vampires and-"

I put my hand over her mouth to silence her and sighed. "Look, if I can prove that it's true, will you believe me?"

"Depends." Tawny said as she moved away from me and picked up the sandwich she had been making. She slammed the first slice down on top of the turkey and mayo and took a hefty bite before talking with her mouth full. "How are you gonna prove it?"

"I…" I paused in thought and looked around, not sure how I could prove myself. My eyes fell on the bloody knife on the ground and my stomach instantly began to gurgle again. The hunger pains began to intensify and I knew if I didn't do something soon, I'd be at Tawny's throat again and this time Zach wouldn't need to egg me on. "Come on, we're leaving."

"Leaving?" Tawny looked at me in disbelief and motioned to herself. "I'm kind of in my underwear, David!"

"So go upstairs and cover your ass up so we can go!" I said as I turned away from her and started toward the front door. I couldn't be near her or her blood. I needed fresh air so I stepped outside and over to my bike.

It took Tawny a while to come outside but as soon as she did, she started over to my bike with questions swirling. "Where are we going, David? And when are we gonna be back? I'm grounded, you know. My mom will kill me if I'm not here when she gets back. How long is this going to take?"

"Will you just shut up and get on the damn bike?" I said irritably.

Of course, Tawny, she could never make anything easy. She planted her hands on her hips and looked at me in anger. "Not when you say it like that."

"Look, I'm sorry I just…" I grumbled lightly and turned to look at her. "Will you please get on? There's someone I need to check on and with any luck, she can convince you that I'm not lying."

"_She_? Is it that girl you slept with the other night?" Tawny said as she stopped herself from climbing onto the back of my bike. "Because if it is, I'd rather not-"

Before Tawny could utter another word, I grabbed her and pulled her onto my bike across my lap. Zach was right, she really was dramatic and I certainly didn't have time for her theatrics. I wished I knew a bit of hypnosis, just to get her to keep quiet long enough. Instead I had to listen to her scream and shout at me the entire ride to June's apartment. Apparently she didn't like clinging onto the front of my jacket for dear life.

Once we arrived outside of June's, she continued to shout but I ignored her. Instead I began to climb up the fire escape like I had done the night before. Once Tawny realized I wasn't going to apologize for my actions, she calmed down for a moment, but only a moment.

"Where are you going, David? Are you breaking into this girl's apartment?" Tawny asked with crossed arms as she looked up at me.

"This is the only way to get in. As soon as the sun goes down the building is on lockdown. My guess is we have Zach to thank for that." I replied as I continued up the ladder.

"Enough with this vampire nonsense!" Tawny said with a whine. "Don't you think this has gone too far?"

"It's not nonsense, now come on up. Use that trashcan to give you a boost." I said as I pointed to a trashcan against the building. I watched as Tawny hesitantly grabbed the metal can and dragged it over to the fire escape. She climbed up on it, wobbly at first, and then grabbed ahold of the ladder.

Once she was up, I forced June's window open and motioned for her to follow me inside. "Come on."

Despite that vampires are supposed to have a keen sense of smell, Tawny was the first one to pick up on the foul odor coming from the apartment. "Uhg! What is that smell?"

I inhaled slowly and that was when the stench hit me. It was a rotten smell, the kind of scent a dead animal gives off after it's been dead for a couple of days. I stepped fully into the apartment and looked around but the only light that was on was in the kitchen. "June?"

"David, I don't want to be here." Tawny said as she climbed fully through the window and covered her nose and mouth with her hands. "This doesn't feel right."

"Yeah, something's definitely off." I muttered as I continued on. I stepped into the kitchen and looked around but nothing really seemed out of place. June had kept her kitchen fairly clean and the one time I had been inside it had been enough for me to see that nothing had really been tampered with. I stepped over to the freezer and pulled the door open slowly. The cardboard box was still in its place but as I pulled it out, I found that it was completely empty. Not one single zip lock bag full of blood.

I cursed under my breath and slammed the box back into the freezer just before Tawny let out a blood curdling scream. I rushed to her side to find that the light in the living room was on and June, or what was left of her, lay in a bloody, gooey mass on the floor between the couch and the coffee table.

Tawny buried her face against my chest instantly and began to shake. "Wh-what the hell is that, David?"

"That's… June." I said quietly. I felt so sick to my stomach. I felt like it was entirely my fault. If I hadn't ran to her, if I hadn't left her alone with Zach, if I hadn't even met her then she would still be alive. I put my hand on Tawny's head to comfort her though she was actually comforting me. In my mind I was already taking responsibility for the whole mess. In my mind, I had been the one to kill June.

Having Tawny there at least kept me focused.

"W-we need to get out of here." I said as I pulled away from Tawny, turned off the lamp that was illuminating the room and started toward the window.

"What does that to a person, David?" Tawny asked as she followed me to the window but continued to look back at what little we could see of June's remains.

"Vampirism does that." Zach replied from somewhere behind us.

I whirled around and forced Tawny behind me, glaring into the dark room. "Stay the hell away Zachary."

"Now why would I do that?" Zach said as he stepped into the sliver of light from the kitchen. "After all, you have what I want."

"You can't have Tawny. I won't let you touch her." I said, narrowing my eyes at Zach. "You can't just force someone to be a vampire! That's not how it's supposed to work."

"Oh, David. You really are naïve." Zach said with a chuckle as he stepped closer to me. "I did it to you and you'll do it to Tawny."

"Like hell I will!" I growled.

"Oh? But you almost did last night." Zach smirked as he said this and turned his gaze to Tawny. "Remember?"

"What?" Tawny reached up and grabbed my shoulder tightly. "What's he talking about, David?"

"I…" I sighed heavily and glared at Zach. "I almost fed on you last night, Tawny. That's why my mouth was on your throat. Zach was there and he hypnotized you. He tried to make me feed on you but I stopped myself."

"And yet you're still just as hungry as you were last night. Especially after seeing all that delicious blood go to waste on her kitchen floor." Zach smirked widely and took another step toward us. "Don't try to deny it, David. I can read your thoughts, remember? You're starving and you still haven't had a taste of fresh blood. What are you waiting for? She's already opened the wound. All you need to do is sink your teeth in."

"No!" I turned to Tawny and began to force her out of the apartment. "Go, Tawny! Take my bike and get to Max!"

"She's not going anywhere." Zach said as he grabbed me by my jacket and threw me against the wall opposite the window. He then grabbed Tawny by the back of her neck and dragged her over to me. I could barely see her by the light of the kitchen but she looked terrified as Zach brought her closer. "Feed, damn you!"

"Don't, David! Please!" Tawny shook her head almost desperately. "Please."

"How heartless, Tawny. You want David to starve?" Zach said quietly against her ear. "Weren't you offering yourself to him earlier?"

"Th-that's different!" Tawny shouted as she struggled against Zach's hold. "I thought he was joking! I thought he was just lying to me! I didn't think he was really a vampire!"

I stared up at the two struggling against each other. It was as if all my senses were in slow motion. Tawny seemed scared to death and Zach was so determined for me to feed on her. Both of them were distracted by the other and an idea began to form in my head. I saw a window of opportunity, literally, so I decided to go for it. I stood up and launched myself at Tawny, pressing my mouth against her throat. I rushed forward with her in my grasp and pinned her up against the windowsill. She was cringing and whimpering which served my purpose just fine. It must've looked realistic to Zach but I knew I only had a moment before he was in my head reading my every thought.

I placed my hand on top of Tawny's head and forced it down so that when I shoved her out the window, she didn't hit her head. She landed flat against the cold metal of the fire escape and I stared down at her. "Run!"

I made an attempt to follow her out but Zach was on me in an instant. He grabbed me and slammed me against the floor. "Wrong move, David."

"I'm not going to feed on her, Zachary." I said, fighting against his hold. "You can forget it because it's not happening. She's the only friend I have. I'm not going to force something on her that she doesn't want."

"That's the only way to get what you want, David. Don't you get that? Max's silly idea of giving someone a choice is outdated! You're a vampire! You have the power so why not use it?" Zach pulled me up and forced me against the window to look down at Tawny as she climbed down the ladder. "You really think she's going to choose vampirism after tonight? She won't! She'll choose to remain human. She'll choose to grow old. She'll choose to die. That's why you don't give her a choice. You take what you want, David. That's how this world works!"

I growled and forced Zach off of me. I really didn't have time to deal with him. Tawny was almost to my bike and even if she managed to figure out how to ride it, she still wouldn't be able to do anything against Zach or the others if they caught up with her.

I knocked him back a couple feet and dove out the window and onto the fire escape. I didn't waste time trying to climb down the ladder because Tawny was already at the bottom. Instead I jumped off the side railing and landed on the ground with a thud. It hurt, but not nearly as bad as it probably should have. I stood and rushed over to my bike, pulled Tawny onto it and started the engine. I sped off as fast as I could, headed back for home.

I didn't know what we were going to do about Zach but I knew that only Max could help.


	18. This is the End, My Only Friend, the End

Oh my god, you guys! I've been so busy these past couple of weeks! I forgot to upload. I'm so sorry!

Here is chapter 18 and despite what the chapter name suggests, THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE STORY. Far from the end, in fact. So don't worry, there's still plenty more if you're enjoying it.

Thanks for reading, as always. Enjoy!

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"What are we doing here?" Tawny said as we pulled up the driveway and into Max's garage. "Shouldn't we be going to the cops?"

"You're kidding, right?" I said as I turned off my engine and looked down at Tawny in irritation at her idiotic suggestion. "Zach is a vampire who can fly, read minds and hypnotize people. What the hell are the cops going to do?"

"I don't know, David! What the hell is Max going to do?" Tawny shouted. "Just because he's a vampire too doesn't mean he… o-oh my god! My mom! She's been here alone with him this whole time!"

Tawny jumped off my bike and rushed for the door to the house but I stopped her by grabbing her wrist. "Relax, Tawny. Max would never hurt your mom. He likes her way too much."

"You don't know that!" Tawny said as she tugged away from my grasp. "David, last night _you_ almost-"

"Almost, Tawny. But I stopped myself. I stopped myself tonight too when you were shoving your bloody hand in my face! And earlier with Zach. Do you get what I'm saying? I have a sense of restraint and I barely have any experience with this. Max has centuries of experience in fighting his urges. He knows how to handle himself. Your mom is fine, so don't go in there all hysterical." I said trying my best to calm Tawny down. "It'll only make things worse."

"How can things be worse? My mom is _dating_ a vampire and the one person I'm most afraid of in this world is probably on his way here to kill us! I fail to see how it could be worse." Tawny said, throwing her hands up in the air as she continued toward the door.

"That's the thing though. Zach doesn't want you dead." I said as I stepped in front of her to stop her from entering the house. "He wants you to be a vampire. Like us. And Tawny, I need to know now if that's something you would want."

"A vampire?" Tawny said, furrowing her brow. "Why the hell would I want to be a vampire?"

"Well, because you'd never grow old. You'd never die." I said with a shrug. Really, I didn't think I needed to explain the concept to her. "You'd be young and beautiful forever and-"

"And a killer. I'd have to kill people to be a vampire, right?" Tawny said with a scoff before looking at me in horror. "Oh my god! You've killed someone, haven't you, David?"

"No! No, I haven't killed yet! That's why I'm still a half vampire." I looked at Tawny desperately. She clearly wasn't taking the idea of vampirism in the way I had hoped she would. "We wouldn't have to kill innocent people, Tawny. Just criminals. Bad people who rape and murder and abuse. People who deserve to die."

Tawny shook her head and looked at me in disgust. "Jeeze, David! Would you listen to yourself? You're justifying the murders you plan to commit! You know how sick that is, right?"

"B-but if they deserve to die…" I stammered out, not sure where I had gone wrong in this conversation. Most people would be jumping at the chance for immortality. I didn't know why she wasn't.

"You're not the authority on who does and doesn't deserve to die, David! That's not something you get to choose for others!" Tawny scowled at me and crossed her arms. "Now move so that I can go get my mom away from Max!"

"Alright, just be calm. Please. Max really likes your mom and-" But Tawny ignored my words and burst through the door and into the kitchen.

She stormed into the dining room with me at her heals and stopped short of the table. Max and Marcy seemed equally as surprised to see her standing there. "Come on, Mom. We're leaving!"

"Tawny… you're supposed to be grounded." Marcy said quickly, glancing between me, Max and Tawny. "Why are you here interrupting my date with Max?"

"Max is not who you think he is, Mom! Max is a vampire!" Tawny shouted, casting a quick glare at Max. "So is David. They're both vampires."

Marcy blinked at Tawny quietly a moment before letting out a small laugh. "Tawny, that's ridiculous. You're acting childish. Now, why don't you and David go watch a movie while Max and I finish our date and you and I will discuss the punishment for your actions later."

"No, Mom!" Tawny stood firm and planted her hands on her hips. I'd always seen her act like this with me but never with her mom. I knew she was serious. "We're leaving! Now!"

"Tawny Michelle!" Marcy snapped. "Enough is enough!"

"Now, now…" Max said as he cleared his throat and tried to calm the two women. He glanced at me quickly and motioned to Tawny for me to try and calm her. "I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding. I don't know what David told you, dear, but we are not going to hurt you."

"Oh, I know you're not going to hurt us because we're leaving and never having contact with either one of you again!" Tawny said with a loud huff. "Come on, Mom!"

"Tawn, wait." I put my hands on Tawny's shoulders to try and make her relax.

She only tore away from me and growled. "Don't touch me, David!"

Max cleared his throat again and stood. "David, maybe it'd be best for you to take Tawny in your room for a minute while I discuss things with Marcy?"

"No way!" Tawny shouted and backed away from me further but I hoisted her up over my shoulder and carried her kicking and screaming toward my room. "Don't listen to him, Mom! Don't listen to what he says!"

As soon as we were inside my room I closed the door and flung Tawny down on the bed. "Would you knock it off already?"

"You stay away from me!" Tawny warned as she backed away from me. "Don't come near me!"

"Tawny, stop it! This is me, David we're talking about. Christ, I'm not going to fucking hurt you. You mean a lot to me." I said as I took a step toward her. "We're friends, aren't we?"

"Vampires don't have souls! They can't feel!" Tawny shouted. "I've read enough books. I know what vampires are like! Besides, I've been around Zach! I know how heartless he is. You're all the same. You don't care about anyone but yourselves!"

"Yeah, that must be why I protected you from him." I said with a scoff. "That must be why, despite how hungry I am, I refused to drink even a drop of your blood. That must be why I'm _still_ fighting my hunger. That makes so much sense, Tawny."

"Oh, don't you preach to me, David." Tawny narrowed her eyes at me in a glare but seemed to lower her defenses. "You're not any less dangerous just because you're making an effort not to bite me. Hell, for all I know it's just an act to try and convince me of-"

I grumbled and closed the distance between Tawny and me, slamming my hands against the wall on either side of her. "Damn you, you should know me better than that. I know I haven't really been honest with you, Tawn. But I had the best intentions and you can at least believe that."

Tawny stared up at me, lip quivering and eyes filling up with tears. I couldn't tell if the look on her face was one of determination or fear… or possibly hurt. "I don't know what to believe anymore, David. But I do know that I am not going to sit by and let my mom be seduced by some murderous bastard!"

"Tawny, listen to me. Being a vampire isn't so bad. I mean, stop and think about it for a minute. Do you _really_ ever want to grow old and die? Do you want to watch your mom die? Because I don't want to watch your mom die. And I definitely don't want to watch you die." I looked down at her sadly and shook my head. "I've had to watch enough of my family die. I don't want to watch it anymore. You and Marcy are family in my eyes and in Max's. All we want is to live forever and we want that for you too."

"So… I should live forever at the expense of others? Kill people so that I can never die?" Tawny shook her head and looked away from me. "That's awful, David. You're awful."

Her words cut far worse than they should have. _Awful_. I was _awful_.

I didn't know how to respond to her so I just took a step back from her and stared at the floor. "Tawny, I-"

"No. Don't, David." Tawny brushed past me and climbed over my bed toward the door. She exited the room and left me standing there feeling like an ass. I didn't think anything could feel worse than having my best friend tell me that she thought I was awful.

I was wrong.

Tawny let out a horrified scream accompanied by a loud sob. I bolted from my room and rushed to her side in an instant but when I reached her, I could barely believe what I was seeing. Marcy was still in her chair at the table but she was slumped over and a long trail of blood was streaming down her neck and onto her yellow blouse.

My eyes shot to Max in confusion but he only shrugged. "I tried to reason with her. I really did. But she just kept insisting that she would go to the police and of course I couldn't have that. I've made quite the life for us here. It's such an inconvenience to uproot and move every time someone threatens to involve the authorities." Max wiped the corner of his mouth on a napkin and smiled. "I was so sure she would be the one."

"You… killed her?" I looked between Marcy's lifeless body and Max in complete disbelief. "But, Max!"

"Oh, don't be so sentimental, David. She was obviously the wrong choice. If a woman is not even willing to give up a bit of sunlight for my sake, how can I expect her to be a good mother to my boys? They need someone who would sacrifice everything for them. They deserve it. _You_ deserve it, David." Max looked from me to Tawny and smiled. "What about you, dear? What decision have you made?"

I looked to Tawny but she seemed to be completely frozen. Her eyes were fixated on her mother's dead body and there was a look of complete devastation on her face but she seemed to be in shock. I reached out and grabbed her shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze. "Tawny…"

"She's in shock." Max said as he stepped closer. "It will pass eventually."

I backed away from Max as he advanced and pulled Tawny with me. "You killed her mother! I don't think that's going to just pass."

"Oh, they all get over it eventually. Paul actually recovered from his mother's death quickly. Dwayne took some time, though I think he still feels angry with me from time to time." Max shrugged lightly. "Anyhow, what was her answer?"

"Her answer?" I glanced at Tawny. She still seemed to be miles away in shock and for that I was actually thankful. Had she been really aware of anything, she probably would've tried to hurt Max and in turn, got herself killed. I looked back at Max and swallowed hard. If I told him she said no, he'd kill her too, so I lied. "She agreed. It took a while to convince her but she finally saw things my way."

"Wonderful. Well, at least my boys have gained a little sister in all of this. And eventually we'll find the perfect mother. One who will love and sacrifice everything for all of you." Max reached out and grabbed Tawny's uninjured hand, bringing it up to his mouth.

"Wait!" I reached out and grabbed Tawny's hand from Max's. He stared at me a moment and I tried to think of what to say. I couldn't just let him turn her. Not after everything… "S-she wanted me to do it. She's got these stupid feelings for me and she said she wants me to turn her so that she feels like she belongs to me. I tried to explain to her that things just aren't that way but she insisted. She'd be so mad if she found out I wasn't the one who turned her."

"Very well." Max shrugged and smiled. "You may turn her, but be quick about it."

I nodded stiffly and watched as Max walked over to the dining room table. He began cleaning up the table area so that he could move Marcy's body and I took this as my chance to try and trick him. I grabbed Tawny's injured hand and untied the dish rag, shoving it in my back pocket quickly. The wound was still fresh but the bleeding had subsided.

I needed blood.

I grabbed her palm on either side of the wound and tugged quickly. It was enough force to rip the wound and cause more bleeding but it was also enough to tear Tawny out of her dazed state and she instantly began to hyperventilate and look around frantically. I reached up with one hand and covered her mouth in an effort to keep her quiet. I mouthed the words "It's going to be okay" to her and pressed her wounded hand against my mouth.

I could feel the blood seeping past my lips and against my tongue and as badly as I didn't want to ever know what Tawny's blood tasted like, I couldn't help but note that it was the most amazing thing I'd ever tasted. I now knew what Zach and Max meant when they said that no blood from an animal or package would ever compare to drinking blood from a living, breathing, utterly terrified human being.

There was such vitality in it; I could see how it would be hard to drink anything less. I found myself not wanting to pull away. I wanted more but it was definitely not the time for that. I made sure that my mouth was covered in Tawny's blood before I pulled away and looked at her calmly. "Go to my room and climb out the window to get to the garage. Take my bike and go to Marko's house. Just stay there." I whispered quietly. "It's going to be alright."

Tawny nodded slowly, tears beginning to overwhelm her face. She backed away from me and started toward my room. I watched her disappear as Max returned from the kitchen to the dining room.

He looked at me curiously and glanced around. "Where did Tawny go?"

"Shower." I blurted out quickly. "She went to take a shower… you know, to snap out of it." I looked at Max quietly before glancing at Marcy's dead body. "Do you need any help?"

"No. I've got it under control." Max said as he picked up one of the napkins and handed it my way. "You've got blood all over your mouth."

"Oh." I reached out hesitantly and grabbed the napkin, wiping my mouth on it quickly. "Thanks."

"You know, you show amazing restraint for one so young. It's very admirable." Max said with a wide grin. "I remember the first person Zachary ever fed on. She was a young woman a bit younger than Tawny. He drank her dry in a minute flat. The boy had no restraint. It was the same with his powers. He used and abused them in every way possible… but not you. You have telepathy and you're doing everything in your power to try and keep from passing on your thoughts to me. You're doing a good job. You're very guarded. But why? I have to ask. What are you hiding from me?"

I had telepathy? Well, that was news to me but it certainly explained how Max knew a lot of the things he did. I was unknowingly telling him all kinds of crap and I never even meant to. Of course, I was very guarded at the moment without even knowing I had telepathy so now that I knew, I became even more guarded. "I'm disappointed in you." I muttered and it was the truth, after all. "You could have worked things out with Marcy. There was no need to kill her. All this time you acted like she had any kind of choice in the matter but she didn't. Her choices were either become a vampire or die. That's not a choice, it's a fucking ultimatum!"

"Don't raise your voice at me, David. I did what I had to do. I protected you. I protected all of us. She would have had us run out of town." Max replied coldly. "There's no reasoning with people like that. I've seen it literally hundreds of times. It's best to just kill them and move on."

"June was right about you. And Zach too for that matter." I replied irritably. "I'm going to bed."

"Don't do anything foolish, David." Max said as I started toward my bedroom. I could almost feel his eyes following me as I went.

I slammed my door behind me and started over to the window as quickly as I could. It was still open so I climbed out and rushed to the garage. It was dark and incredibly hard to see but I noticed that my bike hadn't been moved from where I parked it. Even worse, Tawny was nowhere in sight and I could hear Bridgette's low, feral growl. "Tawny?" I whispered into the darkness.

There only came a chuckle in response, but it wasn't Tawny's. I heard footsteps approaching and of course the thing I feared to see was exactly what I saw. Zach was there clutching his hand over Tawny's mouth and holding her tight against him. "Hello, David."

"Zachary… let her go." I said, trying my hardest to remain calm. "Look, you were right about Max. I should've listened to you."

"You think?" Zach said as he stepped closer to me with Tawny in front of him like a shield.

"I said you were right, okay?" I sighed and looked at Tawny's fear filled face. "Let her go. She's been through enough tonight."

"Thanks to you." Zach said with a shrug. "I mean, if it hadn't been for you none of this would have-"

"I know! Alright? I know!" I glared at Zach and took a step toward him. "I realize that this is all my fault. If I hadn't gotten involved, Marcy and June would both still be alive. I'll own up to that. And Tawny can be as pissed at me as she wants to be. I deserve it. I fucked up! But you don't need to put her through any more."

"You're very disappointing, David. Chivalry doesn't suit a vampire, even one as pathetic as you. You had one simple task and you couldn't even accomplish it." Zach brought Tawny within arm's reach and lifted up her injured hand to my face. "Taste her. I'm sure she's delicious. Virgins always are."

"I don't want to." I said, reaching up to push her hand out of my face.

"But you do. You already know how she tastes, right? You wanted more of her so why not sink your teeth in?" Zach said with a smirk. "Stop acting so proud and do what instinct dictates. You'll be so much happier."

"You know, I'm getting real tired of hearing the same shit from you over and over, Zachary. I know what you're doing. June was smart enough to figure it out last night. You want Tawny to be a vampire but you don't want to turn her because you _know_ she'd hate you for it. You think that if you can make me turn her, she'll hate me instead and she'll come running to you for help and guidance but that's not how it would work!" I turned my eyes to Tawny and looked at her calmly. "Would it, Tawny?"

Tawny shook her head vigorously and reached up to pull Zach's hand from her mouth. "He's right, Zach. I don't want to be a vampire and I wouldn't just stay with you if I became one. I'd do everything I could to change myself back. I wouldn't drink blood. I wouldn't kill. I wouldn't have anything to do with you."

"But…" Zach looked down at Tawny angrily. "But you belong to us, Tawny."

"How do you figure, Zach?" Tawny said quietly. "Just because we were friends at one time doesn't mean you can claim ownership of me."

"But that's exactly what it means." I muttered as a realization struck me. "He can't help but feel that way. Max has been nurturing this sense of ownership of you in me and I'm sure he did the same thing with Zach. A little sister, Tawny. That's what you are. Your purpose in Max's family was to be our little sister. You belong to us in the strictest sense of the word. That's how Max wanted it."

"But that's not how Max is going to get it. He has no claim on her. _I_ sought her out. _I_ befriended her. _I_ protected her while he did nothing." Zachary said with a growl. "She belongs to us, not the two of you."

"She doesn't belong to anyone." I said with a shake of my head. "You have to ignore what Max said. She's not a little sister. She's a human being and a friend. We can't own her. She's not a part of your family and she's not a part of mine."

"Not yet." Zach said with a smirk. "But that will change as soon as you feed on her."

"I already told you, I'm not-" I began to protest but I was interrupted by the sound of the garage door flying open. I looked in horror to see Max standing there and I had been caught in a lie.

"I thought I heard voices." Max said as he stepped forward. "I'm so disappointed in both of you boys. Zachary, you're too much of a coward to turn Tawny. And David, you flat out lied to me about it. I suppose this is why they say not to leave a boy to do a man's work. Give her to me."

"Over my dead body." Zach said as he shoved Tawny against me.

"What a poor choice of words, Zachary." Max said with a chuckle, his face instantly transforming into something monstrous and terrible.

I watched as Zach launched himself at Max and I took this as my chance to get away. I pulled Tawny onto my bike and took off down the driveway not bothering to look back.


	19. Is it by Mistake or Design?

Oh my god, you guys! I am so, so very sorry that I haven't updated since December! So the problem that the computer people "fixed" ended up not being fixed. It took them literally months to get my laptop back to me in working order (they fucked it up pretty badly while it was in their custody.) Finally I have it back and accessible so I can finally update for you. I apologize again.

Please enjoy the update!

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"Are you sure you're going to be able to protect her?" I asked seriously as I stared Marko down. "I mean, it's really important. No matter who comes after her, you have to kill that person."

"I can handle it." Marko said with a nervous nod. "My parents are out of town but I know where my dad keeps his gun and ammo."

"Yeah, well I don't know if a gun is really going to help." I said more to myself than to Marko. "Look, just… whoever comes, stab them in the heart with something. Anything. _Directly_ in the heart."

"Got it." Marko nodded again and glanced at Tawny. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Not for a long time, but eventually." I replied. I stepped over to Tawny. She was sitting on the couch in Marko's living room wrapped in a blanket, holding a cup of hot tea in her hands and staring at the floor in silence. I knelt down in front of her to gain her attention. "Hey…"

She seemed to snap out of her daze instantly and as soon as she did, she looked away from me. "What?"

"Look, I know there's nothing I can do or say to comfort you but I'm going to do everything I can to help keep you safe and get you out of the city. I'm gonna go back to your house and pack some clothes and stuff for you. Is there anything particular you want me to grab?" I asked as I tried to get her to look at me.

She was silent at first and her eyes began to gloss over with tears. After what felt like an eternity she muttered softly. "My mom. A… a picture of my mom. The one that's on my nightstand in the green leopard print frame. I want that one." Her eyes drifted up to look at me in a strange mixture of sorrow and fury. "Nothing else matters."

"Alright." I reached up slowly and placed my hands over hers. "Tawny, I'm so sorry. But I promise you that it's going to be okay."

"Don't touch me, David." She said coldly, her stare intense. "Don't ever touch me again."

I could feel my face fall at her words so I only turned my head away from her and released my hold on her hands. I stood slowly and started toward the door, looking at Marko as I passed him. "Just watch her. Please."

I didn't wait for him to respond. I think he knew how serious I was about keeping Tawny safe and I trusted him not to let anything happen to her. I didn't really think we'd been followed anyway.

I climbed onto my bike and revved my engine. I didn't have much time. It was two in the morning and I had to get Tawny out of Santa Carla before the sun came up.

I rushed to her house, ignoring the traffic lights and stop signs. If I got pulled over at that time of night, I could outrun the cops.

I wasted no time in climbing into Tawny's window and searching for a suitcase or something to put her clothes in. I found a duffle bag on the closet floor and quickly tossed it onto her bed. The first thing I started to shove inside it was socks and underwear. They were always things I forgot to pack if I didn't pack them first and I didn't want Tawny to have to go without the essentials.

Next were some shirts. I packed a few tank tops but also some long sleeve shirts and a sweater because it was starting to get cold. Shorts and pants also went into the bag and I tried really hard to remember what shoes were Tawny's favorite but I never really paid attention so I just shoved her Nikes into the bag and struggled to zip it up. It was so full of junk I almost couldn't shut it but with a bit more struggling, I managed.

I turned to her piggy bank, a neon pink pig with sunglasses. I smashed it against the ground and reached down to pick up the dollars that were in it. There was a twenty, two tens and a five. Not much but it would have to be enough. I shoved it into my back pocket and then remembered that she would also need her toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant and a hairbrush. I should also probably grab her a scrunchie or two.

As I turned to the door my eyes fell on the nightstand and the picture of her and Marcy in the green leopard print frame. I walked over and picked up the picture, examining it with a sense of guilt. They were standing on the beach with the boardwalk behind them. They looked so happy. Tawny was just a little girl in the picture and Marcy looked mostly the same only with less age lines on her face.

Her death was unnecessary. That was all I could keep thinking. It was unnecessary… and entirely my fault.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, tucking the picture under my arm as I started for the hall. I pulled open the bedroom door but I didn't get far.

"Hello, David." Max said with a wide smile. "Where's Tawny?"

I backed away from Max quickly and glared at him. "Like I would tell you."

"Now, now… what's with all this animosity?" Max said as he stepped toward me. "Is that any way to treat your father?"

"You're not my father." I replied angrily.

"Haven't I fed you, clothed you and kept a roof over your head? That's what a father does." Max continued toward me until I had backed completely against the wall, at which point he stopped advancing and took a seat on Tawny's bed. "Now, where is your little sister?"

"Where's Zach?" I asked, trying to change the subject off of Tawny. "Did you kill him?"

Max was hesitant but he nodded slowly. "He won't be a problem anymore."

"Is that what a father does, Max? He kills his son?" I spat angrily. I mean, despite all the shit Zach had put me through personally and all the other crap that he had done, I couldn't help but blame Max for his actions and I was kinda pissed that Max just killed him like it was nothing. It meant that I was also nothing.

"David, I know you're not a particularly bright young man but I assume you've heard the tale of the Greek Titan, Cronus. He learned of a prophecy that one day, one of his children would overthrow him as he had done to his own father. Of course he couldn't allow it to happen. Do you know what he did to his children?" Max asked as he stared at me. "He devoured them. That is what a father does when his children threaten to rise up against him. He devours them."

"But you're forgetting the end of that story." I replied quietly. "Zeus, the king of the gods. He was Cronus' son. He was kept hidden from Cronus until he grew old enough to overthrow him. Zeus cut open Cronus' stomach and freed his siblings, then overthrew his father. So yeah, you assume correctly. I've heard the story."

"Well, you're smarter than I gave you credit for." Max said with a chuckle. "So I'll ask you again. Where is Tawny?"

"You're dumber than I gave you credit for. I'm not telling you." I stared at Max proudly and crossed my arms. "She isn't going to go to the police. She isn't going to do anything. She just wants out of Santa Carla so you should just leave her alone."

"I don't like loose ends, David." Max said as he stood quickly.

"That's too fucking bad, because you have a shit ton of them." I said with a growl. I inched over toward the window and tried to keep Max's attention away from the fact that I was trying to leave. "There's still Dwayne and Paul. They'll be pissed when they find out you killed Zach. You have to dispose of Marcy's body somehow. Tawny is out there and I'll never let you find her. Then of course, there's me and…" I trailed off and glanced behind Max as though I saw someone approaching him from behind. I needed him to take his eyes off of me, just for a moment. I knew exactly what would do that. "No, Tawny! Just run!"

And it worked like a charm. Max turned completely to face the hall and I was out of the window in a flash.


	20. The Land of Gods and Monsters

Man, it's good to be back and updating on a regular schedule. Let's not even mess around with this author's note. Let's just get on with the next chapter.

Enjoy!

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"Are you sure you won't just let me take you?" I asked as I began to cram the toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush and deodorant I had stopped to buy at a twenty-four hour convenience store into Tawny's already packed full duffle bag.

"The sun is coming up soon." Tawny said quietly.

"But I'm still only a half vampire. I can be out in the sun for a while. It doesn't burn me, it just weakens me." I replied. "I could easily get you as far as San Jose in thirty minutes. Even further north if you want."

Tawny shook her head and looked away from me. "I want Marko to take me, David."

"Alright." I sighed softly and pulled out the picture of Marcy and Tawny from under my arm and handed it over to her. "Here, I didn't want to shove it in your bag and have it break."

Tawny took the picture from my hands and looked down at it sadly. Tears instantly began to pour down her cheeks and she clutched the frame against her chest.

"Tawny…" I reached out and wrapped my arms around her, hugging her as tightly as I could. "I'm so sorry, Tawny. I didn't mean for-"

"I thought I told you not to touch me." Tawny said, her voice devoid of any emotion other than anger.

I took a step back from her and let out a sad sigh. I didn't know what to say to her to make her not angry at me, and honestly, I really couldn't blame her for being angry at me. She had known all along that Max was a bad person and I had convinced her that he wasn't. I had brought her and her mother to him and now her mother was gone. How could I expect her to do anything other than blame me?

I opened my mouth to say something, _anything_ to her just so that she wouldn't hate me but Marko came in the front door and looked to us calmly. "I filled the bike up with gas and the sun is coming up. Are you ready to go?"

Tawny nodded and picked up her duffle bag, slinging it over her shoulder. "Let's get the hell out of here. I can't stand this city or the people that live here anymore."

I watched Tawny walk toward the door without so much as a glance backward at me. It made me feel even more like shit than I already did, and that's saying a lot because I felt like the lowest of the low.

She slammed the door loudly as she exited Marko's house and it echoed along the walls of the living room. I couldn't help but cringe at the sound. I stepped over to the window and looked out at her as she climbed onto my bike behind Marko and struggled with where she was going to keep her duffle bag.

I realized she was wearing the same tank top she had been wearing when I climbed in through her window the night before. I knew she would be cold but worse than that, her duffle bag would cut into her skin if she hung it on her arm while they were riding.

I pulled open the front door and walked over to them quickly before Marko could start the engine. "Wait…"

I grabbed Tawny's duffle bag from her hands and dropped it to the ground. She looked at me in confusion but I ignored her gaze and took off my jacket slowly. I wrapped it around her shoulders and pulled it tightly across her chest.

She shook her head in protest and began to push the jacket off. "I don't want this stupid thing… I-"

"It'll keep you warm. I forgot to grab your jacket and it's freezing outside right now. It's even colder further north." I pulled it across her chest again and stared at her until she reluctantly slid her arms inside the sleeves and pulled her curls free from the back of it. I picked up her duffle bag, slid the straps over her arm and secured it over her shoulder.

"Thanks…" She muttered quietly.

"Listen, Tawny. I know you blame me for what happened to your mom, and you should. I'll accept the blame. I'll take all of it. I should have never listened to Max and I could apologize to you a thousand times but in the end, I'm still at fault. All I really want you to know is that I never intended for things to go as horribly wrong as they did. I had the best intentions in bringing us all together and I believed we could all be happy. I never thought things would end up this way and I never meant for them to. I'm so sorry." I put my hand on her shoulder and gripped it tightly. "I'm not asking you to forgive me. Just know how sorry I am."

Tawny stared at me quietly a moment before turning her gaze forward and wrapping her arms around Marko's waist. "Let's go, Marko. I don't want to be here anymore."

I took a step back from them and watched as Marko started the engine and took off down the road. I watched my best friend leave me and Santa Carla behind and I knew that I'd probably never see her again. I couldn't help but think in that moment that maybe things would just be better off that way.

As soon as they disappeared from sight, I started off on foot back to Max's house. I had a lot I needed to do in a short amount of time. The sun was starting to rise behind me and I knew that if I spent too much time in it, I wouldn't have the strength to get where I needed to go and do what I needed to do.

By the time I reached Max's house, I already felt exhausted. When I entered the garage, I noticed that there was carnage everywhere. Pieces of what I assumed to be Zach were scattered all over like he had exploded or something and not too far from Bridgette's box, I saw her body.

Somehow in the midst of the fight between Max and Zach, she had been killed. Her pups where whining and stumbling around in the box looking for her. It actually made me sad. I mean, I hadn't really ever liked that dog and I knew she hated me but I didn't want her to die and now her pups were without a mother.

I reached down and picked up the one male pup of the litter. He was the one I knew Tawny favored and probably the one she would've picked when it came time, had everything worked out as planned. I scratched him behind the ears before placing him back in the box with the others.

I continued on into the house quietly. Max was asleep, or at least, I assumed he was so I quickly opened up the blinds of every window on my side of the house to let in the sunlight.

I went to the freezer and pulled out a bag of blood. I was starving and already I was so completely weak. I needed to drink something. I didn't even bother with a glass. As soon as the blood was thawed, I opened up the bag and drank.

Once I was satisfied, I left the bag on the kitchen counter. I wanted Max to know I had been there. I went along my merry way, into my room to get what I wanted. A few pairs of pants and my shirts would be necessary until I could work out what I was going to do and where I was going to go. And of course I couldn't forget the small stash of money I kept in the top right drawer of my dresser. It might come in handy later. After all, I _really_ needed a cigarette to calm my nerves.

I shoved all my clothes into an empty pillow case and slung it over my shoulder. After I gave my room a good onceover, I left the way I came and made my way back to Marko's house before the sun got too high in the sky.

I let myself fall asleep on his couch while I waited for him to get home.

It was midnight by the time he got back and he looked haggard. The first thing he did was plop down on the couch and peel off his boots. "I am so tired."

"Well no shit, man. You've been gone for damn near twenty hours!" I said. "How far north did you go?"

Marko glanced at me and looked away sheepishly. "She doesn't want you to know."

"Christ… I'm not going to go after her, Marko! I just want to know." I grumbled irritably. "But whatever, man. Don't tell me. It's fine."

"She had me take her to Florence, Oregon." Marko spoke quietly. "She said her dad's parents live there. She plans to stay with them."

"Jeeze, that's so far." I rubbed my hands against my face vigorously as though doing so would alleviate the reality of what I'd just been told. Nine and a half hours away. Nine and a half. "But at least she's safe. Nobody will find her there."

"David, she told me everything." Marko looked to me as he said this but there didn't seem to be fear or even anger in his eyes. Just curiosity. "At first I thought she was crazy, but then why would you be helping her get away?"

"Look, Marko, you can't tell anybody. Not that anybody will believe you anyway, but just don't say anything." I said with a long sigh. "I don't know what I'm going to do or where I'm going to go but if I decide to stay, I don't want any crazy rumors, even if they are true."

"But you have to stay!" Marko said excitedly. "You can lead a revolution against that Max guy and bring him down!"

I snickered and shook my head at Marko's words but not because I thought they were humorous. Because they were ridiculous. "Tawny told you about Zach, right? Well, Zach is dead, Marko. He's laying in pieces on Max's garage floor. Does that sound like someone you would want to go up against? I sure as hell don't. Look, I think that breaking ties with him is all I can do."

"So… you're going to stay a vampire." Marko muttered.

"Well, yeah. I mean, it's not like I want to die. I just don't want to help Max anymore." I shrugged and ran a hand through my hair. "I can still be a vampire. I can still live forever."

"I want that." Marko said quickly. "I want what you have. Immortality. Eternity."

I shook my head and let out a small scoff. "Marko, listen-"

"No, I'm serious! I don't want to die! Who the hell does? And anyway, I _hate_ my life. Do you know what I have to look forward to after high school? Eight more years of school because my parents want me to be a lawyer. I don't want to be a lawyer, David! I don't want to waste my time! I've never had the chance to just goof around and live life because my parents are always on my ass to study. That day I met you was the first time in months that I was able to just get out and have some fun! But you get to do it for the rest of your life! I want that!" Marko looked at me seriously. "I know it seems like a heavy decision to make but I thought about it the whole way home."

"Marko, I'm not changing you." I protested with a shake of my head. "Look, we can be friends and hang out and you can even live with me once I get a place so you can escape your parents, but turning you into a vampire is out of the question. Once you become a full-fledged vampire, there's no turning back. You have to kill and feed on people and-"

"I know what a vampire does, David. I've read my share of books." Marko furrowed his brow. "Everything dies, David. Part of living is just to die. But we don't have to. We can feed on the weak. It's natural selection. Survival of the fittest at its best. We're only animals."

Animals. Marko was right, that's exactly what humans were. But not me. I was more than an animal. Animals lived and died. I just lived. I wasn't sure if it made me a god or a monster… or perhaps something in between.

I stood without saying another word to Marko and grabbed up my things. He was questioning me about where I was going but I ignored him. I didn't need him to know.

I climbed onto my bike and started off toward the old information center. I shut off my engine once I arrived and climbed off my bike. There was silence in the area but it was the kind of quiet that was _too _quiet. I knew they were there, waiting. Waiting for some fool.

I stepped up to the information center like I had that first day in Santa Carla and knocked on the heavy metal door. This time I wouldn't be caught by surprise. I placed my back against the door and waited with a grin for the thugs that had the audacity to kick my ass and rob me.

Sure enough, they came to prey on me not even realizing that I had come to prey on them. There were four of them. Simple enough, I figured, once I got past the massive bald man in front.

I was so hungry, it actually helped me to make quick work of them. I launched myself at the bald one and pinned him to the ground. I felt myself changing in that instant. I had seen Max and June change, their looks fleeing them and leaving something that could only be described as monstrous behind. I knew I probably looked just like them.

I clenched the bald asshole's neck with a force incomparable to human strength and tore out his throat. The scream he let out was short lived, mostly because his vocal cords came out with the rest of the inside of his throat. I brought the bloody flesh to my mouth and drank some, but I still had three more victims to go and they had started running at that point.

The next one was easy to catch. He'd kind of been in shock initially and was glancing back when he finally made the decision to run. That made him vulnerable. I sank my teeth into his throat and drank enough that I didn't feel hunger anymore but it wasn't enough to kill him. I was mindful of what Max and June had told me though. A bite was enough to turn a person if they didn't die. There was no way I wanted that piece of shit to live forever. When I was done with him, I stood and stomped on his throat until I heard a loud snap.

I was needlessly vicious. I was a man possessed.

The other two provided a bit more of a challenge. I caught up with them a half block away and they thought they'd try and fight me. It was kind of laughable to me, really. With their buddies' blood coursing through my body I was now a full-fledged vampire and I felt infinitely stronger. I grabbed one and threw him to the ground but the other leapt at me from behind, wrapped his arms around my neck and began choking me.

He was taller than me so he had a bit of leverage but I was still stronger than him. I backed up against the brick building we stood beside and slammed him into it. He seemed to loosen his grip a bit but the other guy was already on his feet coming at me with a knife.

There was a slight moment of panic that he might stab me in the heart but it quickly faded and all that was left was sheer confidence in myself.

When he stabbed me, he got little higher than my belly button and I could only laugh. I expected it to hurt and it did for a split second. Then I felt nothing but the sensation of my body already healing itself. The look on his face was priceless, especially when I wrenched the knife from his hand, tore it from my gut and slashed his throat with it. I pulled his lifeless body closer and began to drink from the hole I'd created.

The last guy was still pinned against the wall but he was trying to push away from me as I fed on his friend. I released my hold on my third victim and turned to face the fourth. He was panicked but he knew he had nowhere to go. That's when he tried to barter for his life.

"L-look man, whatever you want, just take it. You want drugs? You're on something, right? Whatever you want man, I can get it for you. Weed, Coke, Heroin. Whatever man." He said, his voice squeaking in fear.

It was fun to watch him squirm but it wasn't quite as fun to hear him talk so I interrupted his ramblings. "You're in luck. I'm not hungry anymore." I took a step back from him and dropped his buddy's knife to the ground. I watched it fall and land by his feet and that was when I got a good look at his boots. He had steel toe boots. I couldn't help but chuckle as I looked back up at him. "You know, it really fucking hurts when someone kicks you in the ribs with those. Almost as bad as it hurts to have your skull bashed against a brick wall.

Before he could utter a word, I grabbed his head in my hand and began slamming it against the exterior of the building. He screamed at first but after about ten seconds, his screams subsided and all that was left was the sound of his head colliding with the brick echoing through the empty streets.

I let his corpse fall to the ground when I was done and I took a step back, looking down to see the slaughter. It excited me in a way that it probably shouldn't have. And the whole time, the only thing I could hear in my head was Tawny's words telling me that I was a killer, that I was awful.

It didn't bother me so much anymore…


	21. Livin' Like Jim Morrison

Sorry I didn't update last weekend, guys. I was really busy!

Please enjoy this chapter!

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"What'cha doing here, Davey?" Paul said with a smirk as he and Dwayne returned to the cavern to find me sifting through their belongings. "You got a death wish or something? You know as soon as Zach finds y-"

"Zachary is dead, Paul." I said matter-of-factly. I tossed aside the audio cassettes I'd been browsing through and turned to face the two. "Max killed him, along with Marcy."

Paul's face fell and I couldn't tell if he was confused or bothered by my information. Then he asked the obvious next question. "What about Tawny?"

"Don't you worry about her." I warned. "She's no longer a concern for either of you."

"Why are you here, David?" Dwayne said quietly.

I shrugged and smiled. "I don't really know. I mean, I can't go home to my parents. I refuse to stay with Max. Zachary killed the one person in this city that I probably could have lived with. The sun is going to come up in a while and I needed somewhere to go."

"Did you finally feed?" Paul asked curiously. "Like, kill a person?"

I shrugged once again and started to walk around the huge cavern. "You know, this actually is a pretty sweet set up. It could use a little redecorating. Zach's tastes were nearly as old as he was. I like your guys' posters though." I continued around, ignoring the confused looks Paul and Dwayne were both giving me. "All in all, it's not bad."

"Are you trying to say you wanna stay?" Paul asked as he stepped toward me.

"The way I see it is like this…" I said as I dropped my pillow case of belongings next to the remnants of the old water fountain. "I need a place to stay, you guys need a new leader. I think we can help each other out."

"What makes you think we need a leader?" Paul said, automatically taking offense. "Just because Zach is dead doesn't mean-"

"Actually, that's exactly what it means. See, you might think I don't know you guys all too well but I've already got you figured out. Now, I'm not saying you're dumb, Paul. But you're definitely not the type to think things through. You're impulsive and reckless. And Dwayne, you seem smart. Reserved. But way too reserved. You're not the type to go out on a limb and take chances. Zachary was somewhere in the middle. He was smart and he thought things through but he wasn't afraid to go out and take what he wanted either."

"And you think you're like Zach?" Paul said with a scoff.

"Well, a bit. I mean, I'm a lot more likely to do something stupid but I do think things through. I'm not afraid to take action though." I shrugged and smiled at the two. "The way I see it, I'm the perfect candidate."

"We're not exactly looking for someone to replace him." Paul replied. "We've been vampires a while. We can manage on our own."

"I'm not saying you can't." I said with a shrug. "I'm just saying that if you plan to continue on with what Zach wanted, you're going to have a hard time. Max isn't a push over and he's not going to sit back and let you try and bring him down."

"Then what do _you_ suggest we do about Max?" Dwayne said, taking a step forward. "Zach was right. Max needs to be stopped. I don't want to be a part of his family."

"Yeah, neither do I." Paul said, crossing his arms. "I wanna have fun and party. To hell with his family."

"Well that's convenient because I don't want to be a part of his family either. It seemed like a nice idea at first but just look what's happened. He's killed your mothers. Marcy is dead, along with who knows how many other women. Obviously it's not working out. But we can't exactly stop Max either. None of us stand a chance against him. I mean, Zach is in pieces on the floor of his garage." I said with a small sigh. "That could've been me. That could've been any one of us."

"Then what are we going to do? We can't be free if he's still alive." Paul argued.

"Who said? Zach? Look, just because Max is alive and still the head vampire, that doesn't mean we have to hang around him or do what he says. We can still be separate from him. We don't have to kill him to be independent from him. We can do whatever the hell we want and avoid him. Or better yet, rub it in his face that he can't control us. Maybe then he'll get the picture that his family isn't going to work out and he'll just give up. Besides, we need to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't find a Matriarch. Mess up his plans if he have to."

"That's stupid." Paul said with a snort and a roll of his eyes.

"Do you have a better idea?" Dwayne said as he turned to look at Paul. "There's safety in numbers. Zach always said that. We could use David around with us. And I think it's important that we try to stop Max in any way we can. The last thing we need is him solidifying his family and trying to pull us back into it. Or worse, disposing of us altogether."

Paul grumbled under his breath and looked away from both of us. "Fine, whatever. He can stay but I'm not following his orders."

"I don't want to order you around." I said with a chuckle. "Look, maybe _leader_ wasn't the best word. I mean more like the brains of the operation."

"And what operation would that be?" Paul asked, scoffing even louder than before.

"The operation of having fun, being young and bugging the crap out of Max! Look, we're gonna be young forever. We need to take advantage of that. But we also have to show Max that we're not afraid of him and that he can't control us. We're gonna run this goddamned town and we're not going to let anybody stop us! Now are you with me, or not?"

Paul and Dwayne looked at each other quietly a moment before they both turned to look back at me. Dwayne nodded slowly. "Alright."

Paul rolled his eyes and placed his hands on his hips. "Yeah, fine. Whatever."

"Perfect."


	22. Time Flies When You're Having Fun

Here's your weekly update!

Enjoy and thank you for the reviews!

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The next few years were spent doing exactly what I'd planned. Dwayne, Paul and I rode our bikes around all night, terrorized a slew of security guards at the boardwalk and fed on basically any asshole who was stupid enough to piss us off.

We were party animals, living the good life.

I quickly learned that I was still able to enjoy all my old favorite foods. As long as I fed on humans, my body didn't reject the idea of the foods I enjoyed in my human days. Of course, this meant that I had to perfect my powers of hypnosis. It benefited me to learn to trick others into seeing what I wanted them to see. Little strips of paper became dollar bills of any value whenever I wanted to buy something but didn't have the money. I mean, we had no real way to make money other than to rob the dumb shits we fed on but that didn't give us a lot.

I also picked up a smoking habit. It wasn't like I was going to die from lung cancer or anything, so why not? It became something I did for fun rather than something I needed to calm my nerves but I found myself doing it a lot. Maybe vampires can get addicted to nicotine too. I don't really know. I never thought much about it.

For all my addictions, cigarettes, Twinkies and the occasional McDonald's hamburgers, I used and abused my powers of hypnosis. It became my greatest attribute, or at least, my most beneficial. I could get anything I wanted and I never felt an ounce of remorse for it. It just became something that I did every night to get what I wanted.

Marko ran around with us every once in a while and once he turned eighteen in the winter of '84, I let him move in with us. He brought his old bed and most of his belongings and just that quickly, he was one of the gang. A human running around with a bunch of vampires.

Dwayne and Paul seemed to get a real kick out of the idea. They thought it was funny that the kid wanted to be a vampire so badly without any real thought on what that actually meant.

And he had no fear. He matched our every move tit for tat, whether it was racing our motorbikes to the edge of Hudson's bluff or getting into knockdown, drag out fights with the surf punks that liked to flood our beaches. He was there in the midst of it all. I was really sort of proud of him but I still wasn't ready to make him into a vampire.

I mean, it was a huge thing and I remembered what Max had said. We couldn't just go around turning everyone into vampires. More vampires meant less humans to feed on, but of course, nobody would be feeding on Marko on my watch. I viewed him as my responsibility. As our little brother…

Maybe that was the one trait I'd gained from Max that I couldn't shake. A sense of ownership of people that were never actually mine to begin with.

And speaking of Max, we bugged the crap out of him. In and out of his store all the time and even Maria seemed annoyed with us on occasion. I could tell that it was eating Max up. He couldn't stand that we did what we wanted. Couldn't stand that we weren't at his beck and call. He officially "banned" us from the movie store in January of '85 but we never let that stop us.

We were banned from a lot of places actually. We got kicked off the boardwalk for fighting too much, kicked out of a couple of bars for various reasons and we were definitely no longer allowed in the strip club after Paul got a little too handsy with one of the girls. Yeah, that was a fun night.

You would think that it would begin to get boring after a while but there was always something fun to do and some kind of trouble to get into.

One particular night though, we got into a little too much trouble and it nearly cost Marko his life. That was the night I realized that despite how much I had let vampirism change me, my friends were still my top priority and they likely always would be.

It was a night just like all the others. We'd made our rounds to the boardwalk and to Max's movie store. It seemed particularly quiet for a Friday night. Maybe it was due to the past two and a half year rise in reported missing persons thanks to yours truly.

I was getting bored with the lack of people out on the street and I wanted some excitement so I decided to seek out the usual trash we preyed on.

"Hey, you think they're gonna be here?" Paul asked as we stepped up to one of our favorite bars to get kicked out of.

I snickered at his question and stepped into the bar, past the so called security guard who was usually too drunk himself to even care to card us, let alone recognize that we were supposed to have been banned. "They're always here. I don't know why tonight would be any different."

The four of us entered the smoke filled room and I inhaled deeply. Through the smell of booze and secondhand smoke, I could definitely detect the scent of something familiar. I looked across the bar to the pool tables where the group of thugs we liked to fight with were playing a game with a couple of cute girls. A smirk crossed my face instantly and I motioned to the group.

"There they are." Paul said with a chuckle. "Ooh, looks like they've got a few more guys with them than last time."

"New cronies." I muttered. "Easy prey. Probably who we'll be feeding on tonight."

"Don't you think we ought to lay off tonight?" Dwayne said quietly. "Marko got a black eye and a busted lip last time and we were on even ground. Now they outnumber us, two to one. Shouldn't we back off or at least wait for some of them to leave?"

"Well, that depends." I replied as I turned my gaze to Marko. "What do you say, Marko?"

"I can handle it." Marko said with a grin. "Two on one, five on one. I'm not scared."

"Atta boy, Marko." I said as I clasped the boy's shoulder proudly. I led the three to the bar and we sat down. The bartender was the same hot blonde chick who was always there and she seemed less than pleased to see us. "Hey Lisa, how's it going?"

"You four again? I can't believe Carlos let you in." Lisa said with a groan as I leaned against the counter and pulled out my wallet.

"Just give us four beers and act like you're happy to see us." I said with a smile, pulling out a few dollar sized strips of paper from my wallet. I handed them over to the blonde, delving into her mind long enough for her to view the paper as money before she put it in the cash register.

She let out a small grumble and popped the caps off of the beers she intended to serve us. "So should I call the cops now or later?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, feigning innocence as I picked up one of the beer bottles and brought it to my lips.

"You know what I mean. You're gonna get in a fight with those assholes over in that corner and then I'm gonna have to call the cops and you'll all be gone before they even get here." Lisa said as she crossed her arms. "It's basically on the agenda for any night I catch you guys in here. I might as well call them now and have them waiting."

"Hey, we never start fights. We just finish them." Paul said with a laugh, taking a drink of his own beer.

"Yeah, well that doesn't mean I like having fights around here. My boss is hard on me enough without thinking that I just let you guys come in here and start a bunch of shit." Lisa said, turning away from us irritably.

"She so wants your junk." Paul said, laughing again.

"Ha! Yeah right! The chick can't stand me." I replied with a chuckle. "But speaking of chicks, there's not a lot to choose from here." I scanned over the bar in slight disappointment. There seemed to be five guys for every one girl. I mean, I wasn't too particularly picky about who I fed on but every once in a while I liked to find a girl that was shallow and bitchy, but still pretty hot. They were always fun to feed on. "What do you guys think?"

"I think that girl is kinda hot." Marko said as he pointed over to a brunette who was flirting away with the punks we always fought with.

I snickered at his observation of the girl. In a way, she looked familiar to me. I'd seen her type before; a short girl with warm brown curls and pale skin. She was exactly Marko's type in every way. Every time he spotted a girl that he liked, I couldn't help but notice how much they looked like _her_. I quickly shook my thoughts. I'd sworn to myself that I wasn't going to think about _her_ anymore and that night would be no exception, no matter how drunk I got.

I mean, why should _I_ be the one moping around about it? I wasn't the one who couldn't handle things. I wasn't the one who left. I wasn't the one who-

"I'm going to go talk to her." Marko said as he slid off his barstool with beer in hand.

I snapped back to attention at his words. "Not by yourself, you're not." I protested but Marko held up his hand to stop me.

"I can handle myself. Besides, they're more likely to jump all over us if you go with me. If I go by myself, I'll be fine." Marko smiled reassuringly and started over to the group. I watched nervously as he positioned himself between the brunette girl and the big burly idiot she had been talking to.

"Kid has guts." Paul said with a loud laugh.

"They're going to pummel him." Dwayne interjected. "It's not so funny."

And sure enough, the group looked like they were ready to pounce on Marko. The burly asshole the girl had been flirting with put his hand on Marko's shoulder and whirled the boy around and at that point, I was already off my seat and storming over. About that time, fists started flying and I was in the midst of them. It was an all-out riot in a matter of seconds and the four of us were getting hit left and right. It didn't hurt Dwayne and Paul or me but Marko wasn't a vampire. There was no doubt that it hurt for him.

Shortly after the brawl broke out, Lisa triggered the sprinkler system and water came pouring down on us. That seemed to stop a majority of the fighting. The rest ceased when Lisa shouted that she had called the cops and the bar became a frenzy of everyone trying to get out and away before the cops got there.

I wasn't in too much of a hurry. The cops were always slow to respond to bar brawls and I knew we could outrun them anyway. "Alright, time to get out of here." I reached down and picked Marko up by his jacket, chuckling a bit as I saw his eye swelling up.

But Marko wasn't his normally upbeat self. He was usually laughing and smiling after a fight, even when he got his ass beat. Instead, pain filled his face and I noticed in horror that he was clutching his gut, blood seeping out between his fingers. He had been stabbed in the midst of all the chaos. Rage and fear filled me all at once. I wanted to know who had stabbed him. I wanted the asshole dead, but I couldn't leave Marko. Not to just let him die.

I hoisted him up and looked at him seriously. "Who did it?"

"Th-the big one. Frank." Marko managed to gurgle out before slumping against my shoulder.

I scowled and looked to Dwayne and Paul, pointing toward the front of the bar where everyone had escaped to. "I want his fucking head on a platter! Bring him!"

They both nodded before starting toward the front of the bar. I dragged Marko's dead weight body out the side door emergency exit and into the alleyway between the bar and a set of apartments. I tapped Marko's face after leaning him against the building but he only looked at me through glossed over eyes.

"Come on Marko, don't die on me." I looked down at him in a panic. I knew there was no way he was going to survive long enough to get him to the hospital and even if he made it to the hospital, there was no guarantee that they would be able to fix him. I had to act fast. I reached into Marko's jacket pocket where I knew he always kept a knife for protection. I flipped the blade open and pulled back my jacket sleeve, slitting my wrist quickly. I brought my wrist to his mouth but my wound had already healed itself.

I didn't want to bite him. He was already losing so much blood and there was no way that draining him of even a bit would help him. I was beginning to panic. I quickly slit my wrist again but this time I didn't pull the knife away. Instead I dug deeper with it and made certain that I continued to bleed. I held my arm to Marko's mouth and forced him to drink my blood.

I could tell that there was a near instant relief of pain. His eyes sort of came back to life in a very ironic way and he looked up at me in shock. "David?"

"Shh! Don't talk. Don't move." I said as I removed the knife from my wrist and tucked it away. "You can still die. Your body is healing too slowly. You need to feed on a human." I looked around but there wasn't a person in sight so I began pacing, trying to think of what I could do.

"David, did you-" Marko began to speak again but I continued to try and silence him.

"Shh! Just save your strength. I'm gonna go find you someone to feed on." I turned away from Marko and started back into the bar when I heard the sound of someone approaching down the alleyway. My eyes flew to Dwayne and Paul as they came dragging the asshole who had stabbed Marko. He was kicking and screaming and obviously very pissed but he had no idea what was in store for him.

"You pussies!" The burly idiot spat out. "You gonna try to rough me up cause I hurt your friend?"

"No." I said with a shrug. "No, there's no point in roughing you up. He's perfectly capable of handling you himself." I looked to Marko and leaned down to help him up. "Let instinct take over Marko; your body will do the rest."

Marko nodded slowly and took a small step forward. It was all over in that instant. I couldn't see his face but I could see the form of his body change. Everything tensed and I could tell he wasn't the same kid anymore. The horrified look on Frank's ugly face brought a smile to mine and I couldn't help but chuckle as he let out a blood curdling scream.

It didn't take long for Marko to drain the worthless piece of shit and when he was done, he took a step back and let out a hefty sigh. "So... that's what it's like."

"You asshole!" I said as I reached out and punched Marko's arm. "You almost died and that's all you can say?"

Marko grinned at me and wiped the blood from his mouth on the back of his sleeve. "Thanks, David."

"Hey, the cops are coming." Dwayne said quickly. "We should probably get out of here."

"But I want more." Marko protested. "Let's go after the others!"

"They're long gone, but if you're still hungry I guess we can take you to the Wasteland..." Paul said with a smirk as he motioned for us to follow.

I was confused. I was certain that I knew everything there was to know about Santa Carla but now Paul was mentioning a place I'd never heard of. I didn't know if it was a bar or a strip club or maybe something entirely different but I climbed on my bike and decided we would follow Paul's lead.

That was the first time I met the girl that would change everything; and honestly, even if I knew then what I know now, I don't know if I would've stopped us from going.


End file.
